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Social Media Decoded
From Lupus to Limitless: How Genny Mack Turned Visibility Into Purpose and Profit
00:19:37
In this episode, Michelle Thames sits down with holistic nutritionist and wellness advocate Genny Mack to share how she turned her lupus diagnosis into purpose, building a thriving wellness brand and growing from 8K to over 70K followers. They dive into visibility strategies, mindset shifts, and how showing up authentically online can open doors to brand deals, confidence, and community.
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Transcript34 lines
- [00:00]
A
Welcome back to Social Media Decoded. I am so excited. I'm your host, Michelle Thames, marketing strategist, community builder, and visibility coach. And in today's episode is so special because I'm bringing on one of my favorite people, one of my community members, my client, a friend, Jenny Mac, to share how she completely transformed her online presence, going from I think it was like 8,000 followers to now over six seventy plus, all by implementing the visibility and content strategies that we discussed together. And so what I love most about Jenny's story is that it's not just about growth. It's about alignment, confidence, and community. So if you've ever felt stuck, inconsistent, or unsure of how to really get visible online, this conversation is going to light a fire under you. Let's get into it.
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B
Jeff.
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A
Jenny, welcome to the show. I'm so excited to chat with you today.
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B
Thank you, Michelle. I'm so excited to be here, and I just love being a part of your community. It's so dope.
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A
Thank you. Thank you. I'm so excited. How did you even find me? Let's start there. Like, how did you find me?
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B
Were you already. I love you. I was already following you. And then I truly fell in love with you when I went into the hair store and I saw that your face was on a lot of the beauty products that I was using. So I'm like, what? Michelle does all of these things. I would love to. To get to know you. We had a clarity call together, and it was smooth sailing from there.
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A
See y'.
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B
All.
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A
I'm telling you, meet people. You can meet people online. And in this case, yes, I was on some marketing material for mielle Organics. You still might see that out in the. In the streets at Walmart and some stores. So if you see me, tag me. But I'm so excited to have you here, Jenny. So let's start at the beginning. Can you tell everyone a little bit about who you are and what you do?
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B
You. Yeah. So my name is Jenny Mac, and I am a woman of many trades, but mostly I am a wellness advocate. I'm a certified holistic nutritionist, but I'm also a storyteller. So my mission is to empower people to reclaim their health, and I do it by sharing my own journey with overcoming chronic sickness. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness called lupus, which affects primarily women and communities of color. And I was diagnosed about seven, eight years ago, and that completely changed my life. I used to work in Wall Street. I was hustling. I was working 80 to 100 hours a week. And I was pretty much burning myself out. And that really was the start of my transformation, right where my body said, you can't sustain this way anymore. You need to make some changes. I went into the doctor's office and I said, okay, well, how am I going to manage this disease? What do I eat? And the doctor said, eat whatever you want. Just take your medication. And I knew that was wrong. Right. I didn't have all the right answers at that point, but I knew that was wrong and that that turned me into this holistic lifestyle. Right. I started doing the research and I started seeing how important food is, and this is where I learned how food is medicine. So I started the transition and I started studying to become a holistic nutritionist, also learning that only 3% of nutritionists and dietitians are communities of color. So then at that point, I felt like I had the responsibility to continue in this journey to not only help myself, but to be the voice of our communities that are underserved and just don't have the education and awareness on simply what to eat. So here I am today.
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A
I think your mission is so important.
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B
And.
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A
And before we started working together, I know that one of the things, and this is what I help people with, is that you were struggling when it came to visibility and just showing up online in general. So what made you decide that it was time to invest in some support and strategy?
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B
Yeah, I was struggling, Michelle. I mean, I was gaining a little bit of traction as being known as a holistic nutritionist, starting to be the go to for people with lupus that were diagnosed with lupus, the same disease I was diagnosed with. But the momentum was kind of slow. It wasn't steady. And from following you, from having the one to one clarity sessions with you, I knew it was the right time for me to invest in a coach like yourself. And since doing that, I mean, we've come miles, we've come miles ahead on our journey in terms of growth and visibility and being more confident in my value proposition, my mission, who my target audience is. I have so much more confidence with that. And it's just helped me in so many ways in my business.
- [04:43]
A
Yes, that's so relatable. So many people feel the same way, especially about showing up online. And I think the visibility piece is important because as everyone knows, social media changed my life. And I think that when you show up intentional and like you said, showcasing your expertise and how you help people and really finding those right fit people can change your business. And you don't need hundreds of thousands of people. Right. I think, you know, you hear stories like Jenny's and you may say, wow, okay, she was able to grow. Like, you know, I may do the same. But we have to take several different factors into account. You don't need hundreds of thousands of people. You just need the right people. Thank you for being a power, a part of the elevate and empower community. And so I know once you join the community, there's so many amazing opportunities, networking, you know, different resources. But what were some of the mindset or strategic shifts that you noticed? Like, you were like, okay, I know that this. I'm on the right track.
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B
Yeah. A couple of things for. In terms of a mindset shift for me, I was in my head. I mean, I know a lot of us entrepreneurs are in our head. It's. It's competitive, it's overwhelming, and you have so many ideas. But I remember having that meeting with you, Michelle, and I was trying to figure out how I can continue to grow my business, but also find out different ways of having passive income streams. And I had this idea of doing a webinar, an educational webinar. And I was just, again, in my head and just reluctant to do it. And you said, girl, let's figure this out today. Let's figure out how we're going to move forward with this. I remember us going through the sales page information, and basically you said, well, what do we have to do to get to the next step for this webinar? And I remember, you know, having a lot of hesitation with that. I did it, and then I had people sign up, right? And I made a couple of hundred dollars on that first masterclass in that webinar. So that was the momentum that I needed to change my mindset to say, there's resources out there. You have the foundation, the fundamentals to attract the people that you want to attract. This is where the confidence comes in. So I would say that was the biggest piece with the mindset. And in terms of business strategy, I've been able to really grow across different social media platforms. Definitely leveraging the resources that you provided, especially. So not only growing with Instagram, but YouTube. I mean, the YouTube growth strategy that you brought in, Calvin. Right. And he helped us with a baseline foundation. I remember how hot that that masterclass was. We were just really excited. And he was giving us these insider tips in order to really build the momentum. And he did quick audits for all of us. Right. And he said, okay, Jenny, do this do this, use this platform. I took that away, I did my homework and I did it. And that's how I was able to grow on YouTube. And I would say, to your point, you don't need hundreds of thousands of followers for opportunities, right? So I did start out with 8,000, but that allowed me to start to get a little bit closer to my target audience, right? To do those masterclasses, to start getting brand sponsorships and paid brand sponsorships in fact, right? Not just an exchange in a product, but how much do you charge to do a reel or an Instagram story to share this product or this service that's actually aligned to your brand? Right. So it made those decisions easier to come in or those opportunities easier to come in and those decisions easier, easier to make in terms of brand strategy. So there's just been so much growth, not only from a social media numbers perspective, but a business opportunity perspective. Right. Working in different segments, whether it's working specifically with my clients one to one, or working with brands or working with corporate wellness opportunities. It's just been, it's been amazing.
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A
I love that. And what I love about your story is that, Jenny, you didn't try to do everything. You implemented like step by step this, and that's what creates real sustainable growth. I think a lot of people try to do everything at once and then they get overwhelmed and they don't know what to do. But it's like, I think if you like set the goals and say, okay, I know I'm, you know, like you said, I'm gonna grow my YouTube. And Calvin, we were on that call for two hours, so y' all need to go back. I did an episode with Calvin too about YouTube. You need to go back and listen to that. On that call for two hours, no one wanted to get off because it was just that good. And I think it was about 12, 13 of us on that call that night and we were like, okay, we're gonna go full force. And Jenny is the one, I know she's the one out of all of us that was like, okay, I'm about to implement all this stuff. And she actually did it.
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B
Uh huh. Yes, I did, I did. And I think I need to thank Calvin for that because that was extremely helpful just to get the engine going, the confidence going, to say, yeah, you have a good foundation, just continue with the consistency. We're going to tailor it in just a little bit and boom, that's what happened. Also do one. You mentioned something about focusing on, not focusing on too many things at Once. And I definitely want to echo that message because I wasn't able to grow my YouTube and my Instagram simultaneously. There was some simultaneous growth, just sort of organically. But for me to grow my YouTube, I had to be focused on YouTube. That was my primary focus in terms of marketing and strategy. And I was posting sometimes two long form videos a week. So my social media content creation was almost full time. Right. In terms of the time and efforts that I was spending to grow my YouTube. And then I shift around the summer when I started training for this marathon to focus more on Instagram because that's short form content. Right. So it didn't take as much time to share the content information. And because I was consistent there, I was able to grow on YouTube. That's not to say that you can't grow at the same time across platforms, but it does make it harder. I will say start out with one platform that you know you're most interested in and focus on that. You can leverage that content across different platforms still. Right. So for example, if you create a long form YouTube video, you can cut that up into different shorts and still post it on Instagram and TikTok and Facebook. But really it's about where you're putting your efforts. That's where you're going to see the most growth.
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A
I love that. And you talked a bit about some brand deals and opportunities. Let's talk about what opportunities or wins have come from all this new visibility. Because I know you went on a brand trip, honey. Clients, collaborations, give us the tea.
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B
Ashley, first of all. All right, I will, just before I get into that, I've been working with a mindset coach as well. And what has also helped me grow in my business is to do more reflections. I know many of us just kind of are in our business. We're hustling, we're just getting the work done. And sometimes we forget how far we've come and all the work that I've done. Right. So for you to even mention some of these things, I'm like, oh, shoot, I almost forgot. But it's so valuable to actually sit down and have a reflection, you know, whether you're scheduling that on Friday. Reflection, just to say, okay, what did I do in my business? What were some wins, what were some opportunities and what can I do next time? I think that's really important. So I just wanted to touch on that. But in terms of brand deals and opportunities, they have been coming in. I had my first press trip to an aligned organization. I mean, it couldn't be any more aligned. It was at a maple syrup farm in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. And it was an all inclusive trip. Right. They picked us up from the city in a nice car and they just took care of us. We had a five course meal and like minded people and tons of gifts and you know, they actually reached out after to ask me to be a long term brand ambassador and figure out together collaboratively how we can elevate both of our brands. So that was pretty cool. I just did a brand deal working with Mario Lopez, running with Mario Lopez, and they paid me a couple of thousand dollars just to do that. And I'm like, okay, all right. I can get used to this. Right? So different platforms can give you different opportunities. I find that Instagram does give you more brand partnership exposure. YouTube, for example, I have been getting more closer to my community, getting more clarity, call bookings, one to one bookings. So yeah, there's just, it's just been an amazing journey. Yes.
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A
This is what happens when you have a visibility that aligns with your purpose. I love that it stops feeling like a grind, like, and things start just start flowing naturally. Like, like you said, these opportunities, honestly.
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B
I mean, I have maybe like 10 brand emails, brand partnership emails that I have to go through. I mean, a few of them are asking me if I want to lead international retreats that they completely sponsor. You know, some of them again, want me to try their product again. It's not just $100, right. We're talking about a couple thousand dollars for me to be the face of their brand or to do, you know, a review on their product. And it's all because I am showing up as me, authentically as me, and sharing value to my community. And they see that.
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A
And for the people listening who maybe they feel stuck or invisible right now, what, what advice would you give to them?
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B
Yeah, I mean, I understand how it feels to feel stuck, but this is where you have to do some grounding work, I would say. Right. And I'm talking about spiritually, physically and emotionally. The grounding work can be, okay, let me change my environment in terms of, you know, I don't feel comfortable in this position. Maybe literally that's finding a consistent workspace for you or decluttering your workspace if you're working from home, moving your body in a way, that's great grounding so that you can feel calm and support your nervous system. So that would be the very first piece of advice I would say. If you feel stuck, figure out how to feel grounded Spiritually, mentally, physically, but also if you feel stuck, work with a coach, Invest in a coach. Right. Whether that's investing in someone like Michelle, who's been incredibly helpful. Like I said, I work with a mindset coach. I'm also doing other continuing education courses. I'm studying to be an herbalist. So really just being moving in a way where I feel supported from people that have done the work before me. And yeah, it's possible to feel unstuck. Right? It's possible to feel unstuck when you start to, like I said, ground, but also surround yourself around people who can support you and uplift you and help you see your. Your value. Sometimes there's blind spots that you can't see. Right. So that's why it's important to work with a coach and a community as well. To say, you know what, Jenny, I noticed that you do this very well. Have you thought about expanding your business in this way? Yeah. So work with the community and work with the coach as well.
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A
I love that. And visibility, as we know, is not about, like you said, not chasing followers, but building a brand that connects. And I think that's what you talked about here. And that's exactly why I love the elevate and empower community. Just connecting women, being able to network and collaborate. Connections have been formed. I know you and Natasha have met and just built connections. So those connections to community and just being around other people who get it. And so I'm really excited that we even met because you inspire me. I've even, you know, taken so much of what you have talked about and just implemented it in my own life. And I, you know, thought I was a healthy person, but, man, there's so much more that you can just continue to change. And you make it feel also like, okay, we are not messing up, right. If we have, you know, people have different ailments and different, like you said, autoimmune disorders that we're going through. But we can all thrive through all of that and heal ourselves with food that is available right outside.
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B
Right.
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A
We could grow our own food. That's a whole nother story. But you've just inspired me so much too, and so thank you. I really just appreciate everything as well, you being a part of the community, but you just sharing all your knowledge that you share on social media. So you all have to make sure you follow Jenny and so you can get these amazing tips.
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B
Yes. Thank you so much. I'm just grateful to be here in this community and just being a student and sponge and absorbing all the information that you share. I'm grateful. Yes.
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A
Thank you so much. Jenny.
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B
Jenny.
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A
Where can everyone connect with you and follow you along your journey?
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B
I. Yeah, I'm actually running a marathon in December. My first marathon in December. So that'll be 26.2 miles, which is insane. That's gonna be in Hawaii and Honolulu. So follow that journey. I've been sharing, you know, the. The tough parts, the victories, the wins. And also I've been just integrating that into my lifestyle, right. In terms of saying, what are my capacities? What are my boundaries, what are my needs? And just a separate point, really quick before I share my information. I think that's also important in terms of business to make sure that your personal and professional life alignment. Right. Because you are the same person in your personal life and in your business life. So anyway, yes, please follow my journey on social media. My handles are jennymac, G E N N Y M A C K across all platforms, jennymac.com and yeah. Support the journey, follow the journey.
- [19:10]
A
Make sure you follow Jenny so that you follow along her marathon journey. She's running a marathon in Hawaii, which I'm sure is going to be beautiful. So thank you all so much for tuning in. Thank you, Jenny, for joining me and everyone listening. Remember, visibility. It just starts with showing up. You're one strategy away from your next breakthrough. Thank you all so much for tuning in and I will talk to you in the next one.
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B
Peace.