My Journey From Beauty School Dropout to Multi-Millionaire

Hello, everyone. I'm Jamie Joslin King, and I own a multimillion dollar business as The Slay Coach that helps women business leaders and entrepreneurs scale their businesses and make their dreams happen!

We all have non-glamorous, humble beginnings, so, of course, things weren't always like this. Like many successful entrepreneurs, I had to start somewhere. I was broke and pregnant at 19, dropped out of school, and derailed my dreams several times before getting here. But the journey was well worth it.

I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky—and am currently raising my family here as well. I'd already had a concept of gender equality at a young age, thanks to my parents, whose career choices were pretty unconventional at that time. My mom built trucks, and my dad was a nurse.

I remember crying at night while in the arms of my mom, at five years old, telling her, "Mom, I don't want to be ordinary." It took a long time for me to realize what that really meant and what I could do to make sure I didn't live my life like everybody else.

At school, teachers and classmates would ask me, "Hey, what do your parents do for a living?" I'd explain it to them, and they'd usually respond, "You mean, your dad builds trucks, and your mom is a nurse, right?" Nope. I'd have to often repeat myself and tell them, "My mom could do more pushups than your dad; my dad, on the other hand, is a six-foot-six nurse."

My mom worked multiple jobs while my dad put himself through nursing school. Aside from studying, my dad was also a basketball coach. He was an inspiration to me, and when I was young I thought basketball would be the thing that was going to get me closer to my dreams of a better life. I didn't really have any goals then, and I'd usually be playing in my neighbor's backyard.

This all ended when I got scoliosis, and I ended up having to get spinal surgery. Needless to say, that threw all my basketball dreams out the window. But I knew at an early age that I didn't want to be working for anyone; I wanted to be my own boss.

If there's one thing I've always been afraid of since I was little, it was being ordinary. I remember crying at night while in the arms of my mom, at five years old, telling her, "Mom, I don't want to be ordinary." It took a long time for me to realize what that really meant and what I could do to make sure I didn't live my life like everybody else.

When I was a teenager, I worked several jobs so that I could buy the things I liked. I dreamed about being a hair and makeup artist for famous people. I got into beauty school to get started. But that dream also had to be paused, because at 19 years old, I fell in love with a boy and got pregnant, so I had to stay in Louisville to raise my kid.

My debt was mounting. I was determined to be a responsible mom, so I took a corporate job and worked my way up the ladder, even though I didn't have a college degree. I was employed by Humana, a Fortune 75 company, and provided leadership training to executive management. I'm proud to say that I was doing better than my counterparts who'd finished college. I was only 24 when I managed more than 500 trainees until 2014.

I didn't just want to be making lots of money and living comfortably. My way out of being ordinary was to do something that would make a difference in the world, or at the very least, the lives of other people.

It was only a matter of time before working in corporate started taking its toll. While I was doing well at my job, I got tired of the routine and restrictions. I didn't want to be looking forward to days off—I wanted control over my own time. My full-time job couldn't even sustain my kid's medical bills. I was completely done with being ordinary.

It was then that I decided to get into network marketing. Around that time, I got married and got pregnant again. For years, I believed that MLM was going to be my way into a less-than-ordinary life. I made it to the top .5% of the company, but I was tired and miserable; I was traveling 20 weeks out of every year. And what I was making wasn't enough to get me out of debt. Eventually I decided that I didn't want to let work get in the way of my time with my family.

I was also looking for something else. It wasn't just about the dreadful routines of a corporate job. Something was lacking. And then I had an "aha!" moment. I didn't just want to be making lots of money and living comfortably. My way out of being ordinary was to do something that would make a difference in the world, or at the very least, the lives of other people.

In 2017, I left my job as a networker and decided to do my own thing. The Slay Coach was born and was fueled by my mission to connect with female entrepreneurs all over the world and help them chase their own dreams.

In just two years, my business had diversified into online programs, inspirational speaking, workshops, and personal coaching. I've helped thousands of women since then, providing them with guidance on how to grow their businesses. I've helped female leaders and experts in the fields of events, pharmaceuticals, beauty, marketing, PR, sales, travel, and F&B.

Business had been doing well, and I decided I wanted to go further and help more people. I also started the non-profit group, Chardonnay & Slay, which provides a safe space for women who are looking for guidance, motivation, and positivity as they go on their own entrepreneurial journeys.

As I began to reap the benefits of my success, I also decided that I wanted to give back to the place that raised me. In the last few years, I've been working with small businesses in Louisville to help them scale and grow their brands.

I knew at an early age that I didn't want to be working for anyone; I wanted to be my own boss.

Since starting my own business, my life has changed for the better. The best life you can live is one that you've created on your own terms. I'm doing what I love, I have more time now for my family, and I'm making a difference in the lives of others—what more could I ask for?

This is the same kind of success I hope to help my women clients find in their lives.