Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in consultancy but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jacqueline Biollo, under and CEO of NOTSOLO Consulting, located in Beaumont, AB, Canada.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

NOTSOLO is a strategic management consulting company. In order to succeed, we need to work together, not alone, to realize strategic goals & objectives. NOTSOLO will work with clients to identify, research, develop, implement, and evaluate strategic goals & objectives. You will never be alone in navigating the strategic pros & cons of your endeavors.

NOTSOLO uses research, strategic thinking, innovation, and experience to assist clients in identifying, setting, implementing, realizing, and evaluating strategic goals & objectives. Our superpowers are rooted in relationship building & optimism.

You don’t have to be alone to work with NOTSOLO. We’ll work with you or organizations of any size to find the right strategy for you (although mainly our clients are scale-ups and medium-sized businesses). You can’t buy optimism – but you can be motivated & inspired to find it and use it for your stated strategic goals & objectives.

Tell us about yourself

A Songbird’s Solo started in 1993 as a consulting business focused on helping organizations & entrepreneurs in the arts & culture industry thrive and survive. We wrote strategic plans & grant proposals & led marketing & communications events.

Meanwhile, I entered into politics, earned my Master’s degree in Executive Management with a focus on economic development, and started branching out to businesses, municipalities, and First Nations to talk about growth & development whilst focusing on areas such as advocacy risk management, and innovative thinking.

From there, NOTSOLO’s mission became clear. In order to succeed, we need to work together, not alone, to realize strategic goals & objectives.
I am motivated to help individuals and organizations identify how to turn their kryptonite into a personal or professional advantage.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

You will notice the NOTSOLO logo resembles the working parts of mechanics: gears, wrench, piston, and connecting rod. The importance of each is that so much of what we rely on requires the intricacies of many moving parts. It’s integral to the success & sustainability that we pay attention to, manage, & maintain all these parts. Strategic management is just that. Analyzing & evaluating to ensure the success of strategies.

Being focused on bringing people together, not alone, to explore the possibilities & potential of strategic goals & objectives. My biggest accomplishment is to be ‘NOTSOLO’ with a vast network of individuals and businesses.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Just one? There are so many things that are hard about being a strategic optimist. For example: Turning your kryptonite into your personal or professional advantage. Or finding and using your superpowers for success and long-term business sustainability. Making and taking strategic risks. The list goes on, but once you find the confidence to believe in yourself and your abilities, take the first leap of faith, and build the network to support your goals and objectives, you will be headed in the right direction towards success.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Know and grow your passion points, complemented by your experience and expertise.
  2. Do your research to support educated and informed decisions.
  3. You could do it alone, but why? Branch out and explore where others can enhance the success and sustainability of your endeavors.
  4. Believe in yourself and your vision. Take strategic risks.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Jacqueline Biollo is a leading authority on innovative business solutions, political strategy, and community engagement. This former politician, motivational entrepreneur, arts & culture enthusiast, university educator, and community leader provides unique insight into what it takes to drive innovation, leverage people’s potential, and lead successful initiatives with passion and purpose.

She uses her entrepreneurial spirit, raw life, acting, and political experiences to inspire individuals, organizations, and communities to explore, connect and expand their human experiences through positive affirmation. She balances her time between movie sets, the runway, the political arena, her home office, or the gym. Additionally, she writes, cooks, speaks, and shares ideas for nourishing one’s life with practical objectives that have possibility and potential for all people.

She has been instrumental in developing tools for change through complementary actions that enhance communication and transparency, build, and maintain partnerships, and mobilize people/organizations with action plans.

Jacqueline has also been involved in theatrical performances for over 30 years, including one-act plays, commercials, improv, and scripted performances, and is a regularly featured columnist at Ladies Corner Canada Media.

Ms. Biollo is a graduate of the Canadian Auction College and is a registered auctioneer in Alberta.
Jacqueline is bilingual (French) and of Ojibwe ancestry.
Jacqueline is an experienced runway, published fashion and editorial, mature and full-figure model with years of exposure posing for various designers, photographers, and genres.
Jacqueline’s voluptuous personality will be walking in the Curvy Revolution during NY Fashion week in 2022.
Jacqueline is the founder of an initiative called ArtStart, currently managed by the Edmonton City Centre Church Corporation (E4C). The project grew to provide children in the inner-city opportunity and exposure to the arts as well as the opportunity to develop their talents by establishing a multi-disciplinary arts education program.

Where can people find you and your business?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacqueline.biollo
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamBiollo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/s0ngbird/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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