Today we’d like to introduce you to Jayme Godoyo
Hi Jayme, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I moved around a lot growing up but by the time I got to high school, I knew I wanted to go to the University of Illinois. The reality was that I wanted to move far away from my hometown and get some fancy job in a big city somewhere. I was a shy kid and found validation through doing well in school and being a “good” kid. I played sports here and there, but did not excel at much athletically, so I relied on academics to feel valued. Because of this, I was thrilled to get into the school I wanted. My family never traveled or took vacations growing up, so I’d only left Illinois once, I think, and that was to live in Michigan for a year. I share that because during my time at U of I, I worked for the yearbook, the Illio, and my junior year, became the editor. This position gave me the opportunity to travel to LA, Dallas and New York in my last couple of years there. Our annual convention was also held in St. Louis each year, so I always looked forward to attending and showing my friends around the city.
I graduated in 2007 with my bachelor’s in advertising and really thought I was headed to LA, but ended up taking a marketing job in Champaign, where I stayed for about 18 months before reluctantly moving back to Southern Illinois.
When I moved back, it was tough for a bit. I worked as a bartender, a cashier and in the photo department at a local store. I met the man who is now my husband, and decided to stick around. In our first year together, we traveled to Florida, which I had never been to. More on that later.
I finally took a job working as an overnight youth care worker at a child welfare nonprofit agency. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew quickly that youth care work at a residential treatment home was not going to be it. After just under two years there, I took over fundraising for Southern Illinois, Missouri and Florida, so I spent a lot of time away from home. I also went back to school during this time and got a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration from Lindenwood University. I was in that role for about seven years and eventually, I got tired of the travel and went back to where I started, at the residential treatment home, becoming a counselor in one of the girls’ homes for my last two years there.
I started my business nearly 3 years ago but I had a “side hustle” for a few years before that. I joined a multi-level marketing company in 2016 and although I ended up leaving that after a couple of years, the confidence I gained during that time was wonderful. It was like I became a new person. I even got certified to teach two forms of group fitness and taught at a local gym for about seven years.
When the pandemic hit, I started putting more thought and effort into making my “side hustle” a full-time job. I was burnt out working with teenagers and being on-call and wanted a change. My husband was also close to retirement and we love to travel, so it no longer felt aligned for me to be tied to a 9-5.
I started talking about what I wanted to do and was hired quickly to help write a large state grant for a local business. That contract in November 2021 gave me the confidence I needed to officially leave the nonprofit at the end of 2021 and dive fully into my own business.
Team Godoyo officially became Team Godoyo LLC in March 2022 and my husband retired that April. I started as a virtual assistant by myself doing mostly just administrative tasks (email management, scheduling, organizing files, etc.) and within one year, had hired a team and taken on a full roster of clients not just for administrative tasks, but business and social media management. In my first year of business, my husband and I spent 5 weeks in Florida and a month in Lake Tahoe, plus some shorter trips between. I also traveled to Las Vegas to meet one of my first clients and assisted with his annual event. This became a huge part of my brand – the ability to work from anywhere.
I now have a team of 6 and we do full social media management, podcast management, web design, administrative assistance and business management. Starting the business has allowed me to meet such amazing people all over the country and best of all, has allowed me the flexibility to travel and spend time with my husband and our kids without question.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. But I do think some of the biggest struggles ended up being some great lessons. One of my first “larger” clients was someone I really enjoyed working with and felt like I did good work for. He promoted me quickly but about a month after being promoted, I could tell something was off. Then one day, I was pulling a Zoom recording of a call and he had talked very negatively about me at the beginning of the call, not realizing that part was being recorded. I put in my notice the same day. That experience taught me that once I start feeling in my gut that the situation isn’t working, I need to listen.
I’ve also had clients not pay invoices, clients who have asked us to do things that are unethical and clients who were rude to my team. One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn, I think, is that when it’s about the business, it’s not personal. Sometimes really hard conversations have to happen, sometimes client contracts need to end and once in a while, a team member no longer works out.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Team Godoyo LLC?
Team Godoyo LLC exists to help businesses navigate the multifaceted landscape of business administration, marketing and digital platforms that have a tendency to be overwhelming. We are dedicated to simplifying that journey by taking on those time-consuming tasks and providing streamlined operations and a powerful online presence.
We are most well- know for our podcast management and online business management. We set up organized systems for scheduling guest interviews, create SEO’ed podcast titles and manage the process from interaction through episode release (we do not edit episodes). In our OBM services, we manage teams for clients (including hiring/firing), create streamlined processes, set up systems and much more.
We are also known for our social media services and what sets us apart is our engagement. In our full management package, we find potential customers for our clients and organically reach out to followers, thank followers for coming to the client’s profile and ensure comments are responded to on each post.
I am most proud of the team. I created the name “Team Godoyo LLC” because I knew I eventually wanted it to be a team and it happened much quicker than I anticipated. I have a group of very dedicated individuals who I can rely on and who are wonderful to our clients.
You can find out more or schedule a discovery call at teamgodoyo.com.
How do you define success?
Success, to me, is doing what I love without sacrificing time with those I love. When I started the business, I felt success would be replacing my full-time income but as time has gone on, the definition has changed. I replaced the income piece quickly but it was realizing how much freedom and flexibility I now have that is the true success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.teamgodoyo.com
- Instagram: @jayme.godoyo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GodoyoJayme/
- Twitter: @JaymeGodoyo
