Her vast experience working in different yet related fields helps Jude Gorgopa create the resourceful blend called Clout Et Cetera. This
Jude Gorgopa
interview shows us the importance of being versatile, of trying new things and being able to thrive when faced with life’s adversities. Jude is from Vancouver and she recalls that in her early years in New York, she had many ups and downs, dealing on her own with major setbacks and controversy. She inspires us with this message: “Looking back, I can see that a tremendous faith, tenacity, and optimism carried me through the really rough spots and still does to this day. It’s truly amazing, and even inspiring what we are capable of when faced with adversity in our lives. And what we come to value because of it!” Jude Gorgopa is the founder and president of Clout Et Cetera Inc.
Background
After Jude Gorgopa left high school in Canada she took some classes in Journalism and, although she never finished the course, she wrote articles for magazines and newspapers. She majored in Marketing and Communications with a minor in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Before coming to New York twenty years ago, Jude worked in Japan, Asia, Europe and Canada. Abroad she occupied several positions, such as trainer, stylist, model, make up artist, and writer. She also wrote seminars for schools and businesses, introducing women to such venues as the world of commercial acting and the dynamics of personal style.
In New York, she planned to continue her career as a model, but she soon realized that, at that time, being older than 25 was considered too old and she was recruited into a corporate position working as a manager and trainer in the cosmetic industry. Through her own efforts and dedication, Jude became labor certified and got her green card five years later. She has a New York State teaching license, has written seminars for major corporations and networking groups, has created and taught programs for private schools and colleges including coaching models and actors plus people in a career transition. Prior to starting Clout Et Cetera a little bit over a year ago, Jude was the CEO of two other companies she owned.
Clout Et Cetera, Inc.
Jude started Clout Et Cetera based on her 26 years experience to mainly help people find the best about themselves and use it as a power tool in their personal and professional lives. The business offers a diverse range of services from total image and personal style to career and life coaching to business and employee issues. For example, Jude analyzes the colors that would work best for her clients in their clothing, makeup, hair, and environment, guides them through career transition or a small business start-up. She considers herself a coactive coach and teacher. Her clients can decide which areas they want to work on, and they do not need to sign a contract with her. Jude believes in seeing clients face-to-face, rather than coaching by phone or by email, to be able to read them and observe their changes and growth.
In addition, she has given seminars for members of the Career Change Network, of the Biba4Network, and participated in a Prime Strategies Marketing telephone roundtable. She will be giving seminars in the fall at FIT and in 2005 at NYU, and Workforce programs at the YWCA. Her seminars have the intention to help the audience in areas such as: career transition, to clarify the power of the first impression, to identify the importance of color in one’s life and to empower people to change their lives for the better.
Jude Gorgopa wants to help people reinvent themselves, as she has done with her own life many times. According to Jude, she helps her clients “realize from the inside out just what they can do for themselves, their skills, how their personality matches different career choices, and how they can be truly happy with their lives.”
Promotion and Market Research
Jude comments that she has been very successful reaching out to large groups through her workshops and seminars, and although it has been a challenge to get more one-on-one coaching clients, it is starting to happen. For her business, Jude believes that the best way to attract clients is through word of mouth, giving seminars, networking 24/7, and taking the time to really talk to people and listen to people’s needs.
She wants to support her clients by assisting them in building a foundation of confidence and knowledge for all the changes they go through. In order to figure out the best way to deliver her messages, Jude actually went pounding the pavement and asked questions to people of all ages to figure out her business model and what kind of information she should include in the book she is writing. She asked open questions like: What do you want? What would you like to see in the book?, How would you like to get help?.
Rewards and Lessons
What Jude loves about being an entrepreneur is to be able to stretch her boundaries, to go outside of the box, have flexibility, and make her own rules. Jude enjoys observing her clients’ and her own personal growth, and receiving positive feedback from her clients.
When asked about the lessons she has learned, Jude mentioned the recent death of her cat. She had him for 20 years and she has been married for 10 1/2. Her cat was always around through her journey in New York City, and it’s been painful. However, after he died, she took some time to think about her own life, and how she has changed and grown in the last few years, and how she wants to continue developing. It did help her put a lot of things into perspective, and she feels encouraged to help people and animals as much as possible through a foundation.
Future Plans
Jude is creating Women with Clout, a philanthropic networking group to help non-profit organizations, women, children, and animals, especially the ‘under-dog’ groups in the city. It will help people get involved and will accept volunteers. Jude points out that volunteering helps people find out more about themselves through others’ and therefore, they are better able to plan their careers and personal lives.
Jude Gorgopa’s first book “The Fundamentals of Clout: A Woman’s Portable Guide to Personal Power” is in the works and a seasonal newsletter, The Clout Report is currently available by request. And recently, at age 49, she has been rediscovered as a model and Jude also has plans to also start acting again.
Advice
Jude offers the following advice to aspiring entrepreneurs: “Be true to yourself, surround yourself with positive people that know what they are talking about. It doesn’t take a lot of money to get started, make sure you get the right tools, know what you are doing, and who you are up against ahead of time.” And she reminds us: “You can do whatever you like… as long as you have the courage, the flexibility, the resources and the confidence… you can do it.”
Jude talks about simplicity as well, that less is more, and that even in your closet you can have few pieces that make you look wonderful, instead of a lot of things that do not do anything for you. She recommends that you be creative and come up with your own personal style. If in doubt give her a call or visit her website for more information at www.cloutetcetera.com.