The Learnings That Led To 250 Just Start Episodes with Jacqueline M. Baker

This milestone 250th episode of Just Start: Get Visible is a celebration of the journey—choosing courage over comfort, embracing imperfect action, and amplifying voices along the way. In this special episode, I take some time to reflect on the lessons I've learned from building businesses, writing books, launching this podcast, and helping others step into leadership and visibility. What started as a simple idea—just start—has grown into hundreds of conversations with founders, leaders, and professionals who chose to begin before they felt ready. Through personal stories and a little "show and tell," I share some of the experiences that shaped my journey—from launching my first company more than 20 years ago, to building Scarlet while working a corporate role, to evolving this very podcast into what it is today. If you've ever wondered what can happen when you decide to simply start, this episode is proof that progress doesn't require perfection—it requires action. Key Moments in This Episode 00:00 – Celebrating the 250th episode and the journey of Just Start: Get Visible 02:20 – Leaving my corporate role after building my business on the side for years 05:40 – My first company: starting an event planning business on a whim 08:30 – Why the skills from your past roles still matter today 10:10 – Building Scarlet and the importance of people, consistency, and accountability 13:50 – How I finished my first book Leader by Mistake using a "forcing function" 17:10 – Launching the podcast and why I eventually rebranded it 19:20 – The importance of consistency when building a platform 22:30 – Writing my second book The Unexpected Leader and the power of sharing your dreams 24:40 – Making it easier for people to support your work 26:40 – The evolution of the Manor Box and why timing sometimes matters 30:40 – Final reflections and encouragement to keep starting