Before I met Aileen of Evotive Marketing, Id given up on the idea of hiring a marketing consultant. People I came across in marketing were so glib and trendy, such terrible listeners, and seemed to hear only long enough to push me into a cookie cutter idea of Marketing a Personal Trainer. I kept trying to explain that what I do is NOT body sculpting, but that made no difference. Many times, while I was in the middle of explaining how what I did was different from mainstream personal trainers, Id catch the marketer texting or even talking at me while I was talking. Finally, I decided that I was better off fumbling on my own. I could do no worse than I had been and at least I wouldnt damage my professional reputation by allowing someone to present me to potential clients as something I clearly am not.When I met Aileen, everything changed. Aileen was not only a good listener, but she quickly understood my perspective as a mind-body exercise genre instructor for Pilates and GYROTONIC® exercise. Right away, she gave me tools to improve my website and in fact to change it to its present incarnation. She understood that as a niche service that depends mostly on referrals, most instructors in my genre of exercise dont even bother to have a website or even a Facebook page. She patiently explained to me the advantages of both methods of self-marketing and others. I came away from the meeting with my head brimming with ideas and tasks to upgrade my business presentation.As the months passed and I continued meeting with Aileen about my internet presence, I began to feel that Aileen was like a marketing soul-mate, if you will. I realize that those two words dont belong together in our culture -- marketing and soul-mate -- and that most people looking for someone to handle their marketing dont look for a soul-mate. However, I know Im not the only self-employed business owner out there that is sick and tired of a slick, glib, cookie-cutter way of presenting his or her hard-earned work. There is a way to deliver clear, professional information while maintaining true to the tone of the service provided. Aileen has provided the tools for me to present myself authentically.Has my business improved since I started working with Aileen? Yes. I have more clients. Many of my clients are still coming to me as referrals although they use my Yelp page, Facebook page, and website as extra checks to see if I resonate with them. Even acquaintances from my dance world have commented on how professional my services are. Working with Aileen raised the bar of presentation for me to match what I could offer. She has me as a client for life.