"Partner with people who are skilled and experienced in areas you are not."
Life etiquette expert Juliet Mitchell, also known as “Ms. J,” is the CEO of Life Etiquette Institute, LLC, a consulting, coaching, and training company that specializes in business and social etiquette, and career development. Ms. J is creator of the Social Education and Life Etiquette™ (SELE™) Series which focuses on vital, yet often overlooked “soft skills” essential for personal and professional development, career growth, and overall life success.
From the handshake to the dining table, we teach people how to “be” in any situation.
Ms. J’s motto is simple yet profound—Skills are impressive, but Manners Are Memorable. She knows from firsthand experience how important first impressions are in business or social situations. “Because people remember what we say, what we do, and how we behave”, Ms. J encourages participants to “always, put your best foot forward.”
Ms. J provides etiquette training, seminars, and coaching to a diverse clientele—Children, youth and teen-serving organizations, Colleges and Universities, Community and Nonprofit Organizations, Corporations and Businesses, and Correctional facilities and Institutions. Ms. J believes that no one is too old or too young, too educated or too sophisticated to use good manners. Good manners are the foundation for better relationships and life success–good manners never go out of style.
Ms. J’s expertise comes from over 20 years’ experience as a trainer, facilitator, teacher, speaker, and customer relations professional. Licensed by the prestigious Emily Post Business Etiquette Institute, Ms. J fully supports EPI’s mission of providing “the social skills, refinement and polish that clients need for successful business and personal relationships, along with the behaviors that project confidence, consistency, and trustworthiness”.
A contributing columnist for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Ms. J’s tips, strategies, and techniques offers readers social education and etiquette for life. Ms. J and the Life Etiquette Institute team of professional trainers and facilitators have been providing business etiquette and professional development services since 2001.
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Table of Contents
In the past year, what is the greatest business achievement you’d like to celebrate with your team? Please share the details of that success.
Juliet Mitchell: In the past, I completed publishing my first book and have had book signings in several locations.
It’s been a little over a year since I have published my first two etiquette books; one for older youth and adults, and one for children.
What advice do you wish you received when you started your business journey and what do you intend on improving in the next quarter?
Juliet Mitchell: The advice that I wish I had received was to understand my finances better. Even after all of these years, this remains a challenge for me.
I intend to keep better track of my finances (business and personal) in 2023, starting now!
Christopher Hitchens, an American journalist, is quoted as saying that “everyone has a book in them” Have you written a book? If so, please share with us details about it. If you haven’t, what book would you like to write and how would you like it to benefit the readers?
Juliet Mitchell: Yes, I have written two books.
Manners Are Memorable at the Dining Table
Eating, dining, food consumption, aren’t they one and the same? Not so fast. They are, but they aren’t. This will book will help you elevate your understanding of food consumption from just eating to a rich and enjoyable dining experience. Having a lay of the land, or table if you will, knowing what to do, what not to do, and how to navigate through the meal will help you to feel comfortable, confident, and self-assured so that you can focus on your dining companions and not be anxious or nervous about that to do or how to be at the table.
That is what this book is all about, knowing how to navigate a place setting with poise and confidence, grace, and poise so that you can enjoy the dining experience rather than being concerned about what to do and how to do it. The tips, strategies, and techniques in this booklet are straightforward, practical, and easy to follow. I trust that you will find this information helpful, that you will use it time and time again, and that you will share it with others.
Myah is Introduced to Etiquette
This book is the first in a series of books about how to teach introduce and teach children about what etiquette is and how to develop social skills. Most would agree that lessons learned early become a part of who we are and how we conduct our lives as mature adults. Unfortunately, many children are not taught the social and interpersonal skills they will need to develop positive and affirming relationships and friendships when they enter the larger world—from daycare, to kindergarten and into school.
We often talk about the achievement gap which impacts the economic gap later now and life, Ms. J has coined the concept called “the social gap™” and the impact the social gap has on life success—educational attainment, vocational and career success.
A person of grace and genuine concern for how things are presented to children, Ms. J (Juliet Mitchell) began teaching her grand children and other young children she works with simple acts of etiquette. While writing an etiquette book with adult professionals in mind, a friend and youth development professional asked, “why don’t you write a children’s book about etiquette”? After a year or so of thinking about it, his suggestion came back to me. This book is a result of my many years of work with children and youth, and a family of grandchildren that has grown to 17.
Because there are so many lessons to learn about how to be and what to do, and how to conduct oneself in the world, this is the first of a series of books on introducing children to etiquette—giving them basic instructions for life. Etiquette—this book starts the journey—What is etiquette anyway?
2020, 2021, 2022 threw a lot of curve balls into businesses on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past years, how can businesses thrive in 2023? What lessons have you learned and what advice would you share?
Juliet Mitchell: Understand where you are. What has challenged you in the past? Is that still relevant? What are your current challenges? Face them. Make a plan to do something about them.
Partner with people who are skilled and experienced in areas you are not. Try new things. I’m working on an online learning opportunity.
Improve your skills. Be open to working with diverse populations. Learn about others.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Juliet Mitchell: My superpower would be understanding how to use technology and online platforms to my advantage and to help others.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Juliet Mitchell for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Juliet Mitchell or her company, you can do it through her – Instagram
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