I met Jill through our mutual friend, Brett Burky. Through a conversation around networking and building connections in the community, he had brought up Jill Healey and her business venture, Ambassador Strategies. As someone who’s heart is in building communities around authenticity, I knew I had to meet her.
Meet Jill Healey
Jill Healey grew up in Bradenton, FL and is a graduate of the University of South Florida. She spent 15 years in Tampa before meeting her husband, who lived in Orlando, on a blind date. After 6 months of meeting, she found her way to Orlando.
Defining The Orlando Life
Early on, Jill saw her parents (both in different businesses) get stuck, spinning their wheels and staying in the same patterns and routines. She was driven to help them grow but had no advice to give. She simply knew that certain pieces weren’t working. Having finished her undergrad in Organizational Communication at USF, she decided to go back and get her MBA in Marketing, Management, International Business and Entrepreneurship.
During her 15 years in Tampa, Jill had worked corporate jobs, but after moving here she started working with Medtech startups. She knew very little about med, very little about tech and not much about startups.
She found herself working project management for a couple of small organizations. Each time, her roll shifted to coaching, business strategy and operational sales and marketing.
Ambassador Strategies
As time when on, Jill was approached by her now, two business partners, to launch something new. They found that small to midsize companies, with great strategic plans, needed help connecting the dots and making things happen. They decided to launch Ambassador Strategies, a company that takes on the roll of business development, not as a sales force, but as the entity that creates strategic business introductions
How to Improve Your Brand’s Business Development
What I love about Jill’s approach to business is how she incorporates community and the brand’s strategy to develop an authentic approach to reaching people. In this video, Jill gives some insight on how to improve your company’s business development.
Jill sees Orlando as an incredible place to grow and connect, especially once you find the niche where you fit in. She looks at cities like Lake Nona and Baldwin Park as great examples of how a small knit community can come together, create a vibrant atmosphere and experience amazing growth.
Value and Connection are two of the main areas that impact my biggest buying decisions. When a company delivers value, is involved locally, and doesn’t make me feel like I’m just another transaction, I tend to embrace their mission and share it with others.
To meet and connect with other leaders who are using their talents to shape the culture of The Orlando Life, visit the People section of our website.