“Connection: the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgement...” ~ Brené Brown
Someone recently inquired about why we share about ourselves and who we are as GJ.
The short answer: as humans, we are designed to live connected and in community.
Early on we (GJ) solidified our values as a team and for our business. One of the first values echoed: authenticity.
Sure, you can call us membership site experts.
Some lean into us for membership site tech how-tos.
We’re known for our flexible and beautiful membership site templates.
We’re even more known for how we show up, facilitate our experiences, and guide others.
These are all wonderful roles and titles we walk in. However, at the end of the day, our greatest and most true titles are: Georges & Janelle.
We’re two people rockin’ this adventure called life and intentionally choosing authenticity along the way.
Plus, how much easier is it to ask questions and invite people into your journey when you have a sense of connection with them?!
So, why do we share about who we are as GJ?
Because we’re committed to be real people, serving real people, and offering a sense of community and connection.
Hi, we’re Georges and Janelle. Want to be pals?
Alright, so today’s edition of ‘Get to know the GJ duo’ comes with a twist. Along with candid questions given to us, the added twist: we also included a couple of questions that we surprised each other with.
Ready? Here we go….
Janelle to Georges:
What do you see as one of the best decisions GJ made transitioning from 2020 and going into 2021?
We are constantly looking at ways to improve what we do. One of the best decisions we made going into 2021 was to rethink the delivery of our 30-Day GJ Experience. Version “3.0” will allow us to serve a large number of “Experiencers” at the same time, each one using any of our templates, and provide an enhanced experience for them. Better delivery of our content, easier for them to consume, more tech friendly, better support.
Community member to GJ:
When designing a template - How do you make it fun?
(Georges’ reply)
Great question, I guess the best answer would be the “GJ Secret Sauce.” Ok, we both love to have fun. We also both enjoy design, things that look great, and we are in total sync when it comes to vision and creativity. Once we know we’re ready to create a template, we mix all of that together and I think the rest comes naturally. We start, we iterate, we get inspired, and in the end, it’s all fun.
Georges to Janelle:
What is one thing you've done (as GJ) that has worked well and that you want to do more of?
Great question. There are a handful of things that quickly came to mind as I thought about this question and I’d say the commonality in them all is: honesty.
Here are a few examples.
- We’ve continued to anchor to who we are, what we’re doing, and what we want to be known for, as we grow and establish our business and brand. There have been several different ideas, offers and invitations that have come our way, and although they would have added to our ‘rainy day fund’, being honest with ourselves while anchoring to the who, what and why of GJ - it’s allowed us to stay focused, gain clarity, and gives us more capacity to grow.
- Being honest with ourselves and each other. We are both incredibly hard workers, hold a high standard for ourselves, a bit stubborn at times, oh, and still human in the process. I think, like with any relationship, it took a bit for us to extend permission to ourselves, while growing in our trust. Asking for help, admitting our mistakes, and committing to showing up honestly in our execution of design, leading others, and our offers has fostered a solid and safe partnership and friendship.
- Hi, I’m Janelle. I’m a recovering perfectionist, have high standards, the responsibility bone in my body is quite large, and I like to serve others well. With all that, early on I tried to be all and do all. Add to it that Georges & I really enjoy working together and truly want to do #allthethings - together, sharing it all. Eventually, like all other unrealistic expectations, things crumbled. I crumbled. A much better approach: honesty. I learned to lean into my strengths and spend less fretting in the areas that are not in the top of my wheelhouse… which has proven to be way more productive and successful in our flow, dynamic and growth.
Community member to GJ:
I find that my 'style' creeps into everything I do. How do you avoid having your templates all look the same?
(Janelle’s reply)
Oh, fun question. Though we both definitely have styles that we enjoy, we anchor more to overall design than style. However, before we even begin thinking about any kind of design, we’ve already spent time with the heart of it.
Our templates never come from a place of, “let’s throw something together” or, “want to create a template today?” See, not only does each template have a name, each also has a story. It’s the story that sparks the feel and the heartbeat which then helps us lay the foundation and allows the creative juices to flow. Just like no two stories are the same, no two GJ templates will be the same.
Georges to Janelle:
What do you see as being GJ's biggest strength?
That’s easy: US!
(I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me! - Stuart Smalley)
Our friendship and the ways we respect and honor each other, truly, as partners - mixed with our commitment to show up authentically, facilitate an environment for others to come just as they are, and the fact that we’re not offering a service or product - but a community and an experience… is inviting and welcoming. Shoot, if I weren’t already a part of it, I’d definitely want to be! Learning is so much easier when the environment is welcoming and fun.
Janelle to Georges:
What are your current top three favorite things about being a part of GJ?
- Janelle is a wonderful partner to work with. Our “duo” is definitely top of the list as my favorite thing about being a part of GJ.
- Being able to create membership site templates that allow people to build and brand their own membership while saving them a huge amount of time, high designer fees, and having to figure out the challenging tech environment on their own is another one, for sure. We are in business to deliver results. Seeing our “Experiencers” overcome the tech challenges and creating their membership sites in such a short time brings a great amount of satisfaction and makes it one of my favorite things.
- Although I look forward to the day we can offer a live in-person experience, the ability to work remotely from anywhere and serve our community wherever they are in the world, is amazing.
Know what else is amazing? You are! We're glad you're here.