Working Women--Primo Writing--Jenny Claggett

Welcome back to the Working Women series! It's been awhile, I know, but I have a real treat for ya today! If you missed the first two Working Women posts, you can find them here:

Kimberly Wehrbein--The Perfect Dress

Connie Wolfe--Connie Wolfe Piano Studio

My plan for this series is to encourage women by telling stories of how other women helped their families by starting their own businesses or getting creative with the jobs! I truly hope these posts are an encouragement to you!

Primo: Latin for "first."

Primo is used to describe something that is the best--the leader.

The description on Jenny Claggett's website describes Primo Writing, her ghostwriting business, perfectly: 

Primo Writing--Modern Prose--Old-Fashioned Work Ethic. 

I love Jenny's story. And not just because she's my aunt, but because it's a true picture of

God working. He has plans for our lives, and He will make them happen. Jenny's desire to be at home with her kids inspired her to start her business, and God gave her the tools to do so. Each step on her journey to starting her business gave her skills and knowledge she would need for her future work.

Jenny grew up on an Iowa farm and loved it. She always thought she would marry a farmer.

After graduating from Atlantic High School, she went on to Iowa State University where she changed her major about 7 times. "In high school there was push for me to be an attorney, because I was good student. But I finally landed on teaching. I love school, and I love kids." Jenny taught for two years before moving into a different kind of teaching.

She started teaching at a computer training company called New Horizons Computer Learning Center where she learned how to operate computer programs, which later helped her build her business. From there she moved into real estate, where she worked for the Collin County Association of Realtors as the education director. Then she moved to the Dallas Association of Realtors as their education director. Each job opened new doors and new connections.

Eventually she began working as a virtual assistant for a farm and ranch real estate broker. In order to become more marketable, she received her real estate license. As she worked as a virtual assistant, she started to realize that there was something to it. She started to gain other clients as people found out what she was able to do. She thought, “Okay Lord, I’m just going to follow where You lead here. It doesn’t look anything like what I thought it would.” She started building her client base and was then able to start Primo Writing in 2001 while still working her virtual assistant job.

Her work space is amazing! I love it!

God knew that Jenny needed to figure out a way to work from home somehow--back when it seemed like nobody worked from home. She needed a job that had flexibility because her husband's police job had none. “I could not be working and have kids with his schedule--we could do it, I just didn’t want daycare to be a part of it. Child rearing was going to be my focus.” And God provided a way for Jenny to be at home, help her family financially, and have the flexibility to support her husband with his on-call 24/7 job.

The moment Jenny and her husband had their first child, Josey, Jenny knew that all

she wanted to be was Josey’s mom. All her different majors in college, her career moves, it didn’t seem to matter.  "All those years of angst, of worry--should I have done this, or that? Whatever I have to do in the meantime is fine, but I’m going to be her mom."

God is so faithful to His children. He works in such amazing ways. 

Ghostwriting. It sounds like such a cool thing to do. I asked Jenny what her job is like and what she does for her clients. Her response can be summarized in two phrases: Research a ton! and Figure it out!

Jenny is a self-proclaimed webinar junkie. Sometimes her clients ask her to do things that are totally new to her. 80% of her time is spent researching and about 20% of her time is spent writing. She researches how to run different programs, topics she is asked to write about, and ways to continue to grow the business of her clients. “You have to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, make time to learn and grow, otherwise your business goes stale.”

She also explained some of the tasks she's asked to do for her clients. Currently, she does a lot of work for one major client, a mortgage broker. She helps him with loan processing, client care, and writing such as blogs and content for his realtor clients. Jenny also has 5-6 other clients that she does work for. She does everything from newsletters and social media posts, to website copy, editing, and books. 

Pretty much, Jenny creates what all of these businesses know they need, but don’t have the time or the ability to do themselves.

As Jenny has grown her business, she has come across some challenges. One challenge in particular has been boundaries-- “I’m an overachiever--I have to constantly remind myself that I can do a good job and still go to the pool with my kids. I’ve had to become a specialist at time blocking. Also when you have kids in school and tell someone you work from home they assume you are available all the time.”

Although Jenny doesn’t necessarily love her job, she really loves helping her clients. She loves filling in a missing spot in their businesses. She also loves what her job allows her to do. “I don’t really love my job, but I am so thankful for my job. It’s not what I dreamt of being, but it means I can be with my kids, I have flexibility. I can be home on days they’re sick, days we just want to have off, and summers.”

As I was closing up the interview with Jenny, I asked her what advice she has for young women who might find themselves in a similar situation. I loved what she had to say. And it doesn’t just apply to young women! 

She said, “Honestly my first piece of advice is to always seek the Lord. Seeking the Lord first, don’t back away when it gets hard. There’s a tendency in all of us, when something gets difficult we just try something else now. I’ve wanted to do that so many times. But I knew at the end of the day, through prayer, I wasn’t supposed to do something else. If we say we trust the Lord, then we have to trust Him. Through the hard times and the hard work. Through the low times when you don’t have clients. I’m so glad I haven’t given up.”

And finally, I asked Jenny how she has seen God use her through her business. She said she has been able to share a message of hope with her clients. She has prayed with them, witnessed to them, served, listened to, and loved them. Just as God calls us to do. But God has used her with her family, too.

“I know that God has used me in this position with my family. That has been the best. It’s not just my kids, Joe has told me this before, he knows that when all hell is breaking out in the world, I have things under control here.” What an amazing gift that is to her husband and her kids.

Primo. The best--the first. Jenny has proven herself to be just that. She is a hard-working mom of two who does what God has called her to do every day. She works hard, she loves and encourages others, and she trusts in the Lord with all her heart, soul, mind, and strength. That’s primo right there, my friends.

I hope Jenny’s story has encouraged you to follow God’s leading and to keep doing things even when they get difficult.

Love you, Aunt Jenny!

grace & peace

Mairin