"Be open to change and constantly reevaluate" with Jessi Clayton

Photo Credit: Danny Sanchez

Jessi Clayton is the co-founder and co-owner of Professional Performance Prep. Jessi began her career as an actor and musical theatre performer for several years before falling in love with coaching and mentoring young, aspiring performers. Jessi and her business partner and Prep co-owner, Theresa Pittius, recognized that performing arts studios for professional actors and singers was almost nonexistent in central New Jersey and students would have to travel all the way to NYC for professional training and services. Jessi and Theresa capitalized on the opportunity and have been thriving in New Jersey with almost 1000 students all over the country and even a handful internationally.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

Growing up, my absolute favorite thing in the world was singing. I grew up on a farm in an incredibly small town in North Carolina where performing opportunities were minimal, but I did enjoy yearly recitals with my voice studio as well as singing weekly with my church choir. I knew music was my passion and calling so when it was time for college, I earned a Bachelor’s in music with a focus in voice at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. I graduated with honors in 2010 and moved to NYC right after to continue my education in musical theatre at the New York Film Academy. I auditioned and performed professionally for several years and began teaching voice lessons on the side as a means of extra income.

What inspired you to start your business?

I met Theresa Pittius through networking in the industry and we both saw a real need in Monmouth County, NJ for a performing arts studio that services aspiring, professional performers. We were surprised to learn there were not any performing arts studios in the area created to help young professionals navigate this insanely difficult industry.

Our passion to mentor young performers was the driving force behind founding The Prep. We worked really hard and were able to get a studio running very quickly! We soon became a one-stop shop for performers coaching them in singing, acting, voice-over, self-tapes, branding, and more!  

Where is your business based?

We are physically based in Little Silver New Jersey, but service students all over the country from Alabama to California to Texas. We even have acquired a few students internationally in Italy and Mexico! Something positive that resulted from the pandemic as we were forced to focus on our online database and we quickly expanded our platforms over Facetime and Zoom. 

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Once we realized the need for a professional performing arts studio in NJ, we first began marketing to the local community who would typically travel to NYC for training and audition prep. We hosted several open houses in the beginning and teamed up with other small businesses to get our name out there. For example, we hosted a talent show at a local beach club and gave their kid members mini lessons to get them ready. We made sure all of our students felt like a part of the Prep family and did camps, cabarets, and even a few family outings!

We quickly began to expand not only in the local community but across the country using Facetime. Online sessions really are quite effective and have been important for The Prep in growing the number of students we can impact. It has been a joy seeing students from across the country continue to thrive in their craft when several of them we have not even met in person!

We have grown to almost 1000 students with a staff of 28 instructors all over the country in just three years!

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

We have capitalized on social media marketing such as Instagram and Facebook.  That has been one of the biggest contributors to our growth. My business partner, Theresa is really incredible with social media marketing and finding fun, new ways to get our students involved such as polls, Instagram contests with prizes, and shout-outs.

As we have continued to expand, word of mouth has been prevalent in our growth as well.  Once students and parents find out The Prep offers individualized mentorship in all aspects of the industry, they tell friends and fellow performers. We actually have been fortunate enough to have never needed paid marketing. All of our growth has been organic from social media or word of mouth.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

To be honest, the biggest challenge I have had was doing a complete 180 from a performing artist myself to a business owner! Artist and business owner are two completely different sides of the brain. In the beginning, it was a challenge learning all the new skills I needed as an emerging business owner, but I truly believe work ethic and willingness to learn from others are key in getting to where you want to be.

How do you stay focused? 

Focus was always a difficult challenge for me growing up. In college I was diagnosed with ADHD inattentive which made so much sense! As a kid, the only thing I was able to focus on for long periods of time was music so I was always working extra hard to catch up in other studies. I have learned how to navigate pretty well despite this disability over the years. Some of my tricks are timed activities. I’ll set a timer for 20 min or so for a particular task and once that timer goes off, I get a 5-minute break. The other thing I have found that is really helpful is a clean workspace. I think cluttered if my space is cluttered! Tricks like this really help me stay motivated and focused on the task at hand.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

We are unlike other performing arts studios for two reasons. 1. We are one-stop shop offering sessions and education in all avenues of the industry. 2. We are true mentors to these students and guide them through this industry and process.

Most performing arts studios similar to us may offer education in an area or two of the performing arts industry such as acting and singing. However, The Prep offers expertise in voice-over, personal branding, singing, audition prep, acting lessons, self-tapes, we even have sound booths where we have recorded voiceovers with Apple TV, Disney Jr., and Nickelodeon! Being able to offer such a wide variety of expertise is really special. 

The other thing that sets us apart is our ability to not only provide education within the performing arts industry but true mentorship. Whenever students have questions about auditions, headshots, branding, what to sing for an audition, or even what to wear! We love helping them feel confident in their choices and that they are putting their best foot forward. 

Growing up in a small country town in North Carolina, I never had a performing arts mentor. I didn’t even know what a voice-over was! Being able to give back to these students and give them the mentor I never had has been a true blessing for me. 

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

The most effective marketing strategy for The Prep has definitely been social media marketing. Theresa is really good at catering to our younger audiences and using tools that captivate kids and teens. So much of our growth has been from social media marketing and potential students seeing the success of our current students.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Be open to change and constantly reevaluate. You must be willing to accept when something is not working, reevaluate, and plan to be different. The other piece of advice I have is to be humble enough to learn from others’ success. I have learned so much since co-founding The Prep and much of that is attributed to being willing to learn from others.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is actually Audible. One of my goals in 2021 was to make reading books more of a priority and Audible was a great way to accomplish that.  I can listen to books while driving, working out, or doing laundry! Multi-tasking for the win!

I actually currently do not have a favorite blog but do love vlogs on Youtube. Amy Landino’s are really great for quick tips for business owners. 

One of my favorite books is Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. I learned a lot about myself in that book and how to sustainably build habits based on personal tendencies. This has been a game-changer! Highly recommend.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favorite business tool is Notion. I literally would be lost without it. It allows me to keep my life in one place and organized in files. I love old-school pencil and paper planners and journals, but also love the convenience of having everything in one place and knowing exactly where it all lives.

Who is your business role model? Why?

I have two really influential female business role models, Amy Landino and Christy Wright. Amy has a whole YouTube channel and several books on going after the life you want and how to do it. I have learned so much from her from structuring your ultimate morning routine, staying organized, and being an entrepreneur. Christy Wright has really inspired me by teaching me the importance of a balanced life. I am not at my best for fullest capacity when out of balance and her book, Take Back Your Time, is all about finding the perfect work and life balance for you.

How do you balance work and life?

Being a business owner and having the discipline to stay balanced is hard! I am the first to admit it’s a struggle especially when you’re in the early stages of your business. Starting my day on my terms is something that has really helped me. Whether it’s making sure I get my workout in first thing or just spending a few minutes by myself uninterrupted by emails, putting myself first before my business really helps me stay the most productive. The other thing that really helps me, is trying to have a hard stop and put my phone away at night. As a business owner and mentor, someone always needs you, but so does my marriage and husband.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Definitely working out! Not only is it part of a healthy lifestyle, it helps me feel less stressed and helps me start my morning on the right foot. I always feel more ready to tackle my day after a good workout.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

We are so excited for 2022! We can’t wait to see what’s in store for The Prep. Since the pandemic, we have been focused on growing our online database and I personally want to start focusing again on our local community. We have not been able to have any in-person cabarets or outings of any kind and I am so looking forward to being able to host those again hopefully this year!

How can our readers connect with you?

Instagram: @Jessi.Clayton; @theprepnj

Facebook: Jessi Clayton; Professional Performance Prep

Website: ThePrepNJ.com; JessiClayton.ner