Brought to you by Editor :: Debbie Watts
Jen is the gorgeous mommy to two little boys {her youngest was just born a few days before Valentine's Day!} and the founder of Jeneration PR. She is one chic and savvy momma/business woman who has some great advice for all of us busy moms on how she does it all! We are so fortunate to know so many amazing women and when we were introduced to Jen we just knew she was one of the greatest! In our interview below, Jen tells us about herself and her business and how she keeps both sides of her life in balance.
the momAHOLIC diaries: Tell us about yourself and your company, Jeneration PR.
Jen: I'm the Founder of Jeneration PR, a boutique public relations and marketing agency that promotes beauty, fashion, and lifestyle brands, located in Los Angeles. My business has been profiled by Apple.com, and I'm regularly featured on American Express OPENForum sharing public relations, marketing, and social media advice for small businesses. I also serve as the resident "Mommy Expert" at StrollerTraffic.com , and the soon-to-launch MyBlueBirdie.com, scooping the latest trends and best products for babies and toddlers.
the momAHOLIC diaries: What inspired you to start your own business?
Jen: I was a civil litigation attorney for four years and was working incredibly long hours for a big law firm, and had no time for myself or to pursue a relationship. I looked around and didn't see many female partners who had families, and I started to think that I was on the wrong path for myself, as I knew I would eventually want to get married and have children. I had always had a passion for the beauty and fashion industries, and began promoting a fragrance collection I loved--creating marketing materials, securing press mentions, and developing celebrity relations--all while still practicing law! I enjoyed the work so much, it served as a catalyst to leave my career as an attorney to pursue a full-time career in public relations & marketing. That was 7 years ago, and the economic climate was much different then, so the risk didn't seem as great. I always felt I had my legal career to fall back on, but I am so lucky to have had a profitable business since day one, and don't have to consider returning to my legal roots.
the momAHOLIC diaries: Tell us about your latest endeavor and what makes you so passionate about it.
Jen: Professionally, we've expanded our service offerings to include social media strategy for Facebook brand pages, Pinterest and Twitter. Brands are seeing a lot of traffic and trackable sales from these social media outlets, so we are convincing clients to be "early adopters" and get on the bandwagon--the sooner the better--to start seeing the benefits of building social networks and communities around their brands.
Personally, I'm a few short weeks (days?!) away from welcoming my new son into the world. I'm excited to have a squishy, little newborn in the house again, but nervous about the new challenges of balancing a business with a newborn and a toddler.
{We actually interviewed Jen before her little one was born but he has since made his debut! Super huge congrats to Jen on her new addition!}
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| Photo from Apple.com |
the momAHOLIC dairies: Can you share with us what you feel your greatest accomplishment has been thus far since starting Jeneration PR?
Jen: One day last year, I had three clients appear on major national TV shows: Our clients Little Giraffe and Puj were both selected to appear on the Ellen Degeneres Mother's Day episode, one of their biggest shows of the year. And the same day our client Jennifer Sbranti from Hostess with the Mostess made her TODAY Show debut in a 4 minute segment sharing entertaining tips for hosting a Kentucky Derby party! I was actually able to watch Jenn appear on the TODAY show in the morning and then head out to see the taping of the Ellen show in the Green Room with both of my clients! It was such a great day and truly made me feel like I wasn't just "lucking out" at my job anymore...
Another accomplishment I am truly proud of is having my business featured in an extremely cool profile on Apple.com {seen here}. The Apple marketing team followed me around Los Angeles for 2 days to see how I use my iPhone as a publicist "on-the-go," then they created this super-slick video montage of me. Being recognized by Apple's marketing team was one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me, and I still get business referrals from my company profile on the Apple website!
the momAHOLIC diaries: Do you have any advice for other moms out there who want to start their own business?
Jen: The best thing about being a mom and having my own business might also be the hardest... Because I run my own business, I get to set my hours and choose how to spend my time. So I am fortunate that I can be with my sons and balance my time during the day, working when I can or when I need to and “mom-ing” when I need to. But it’s also incredibly hard to find balance, because being a mom is extremely demanding and so is running your own company. I have help from a nanny a few days a week, and the grandparents come and help out as well, but it’s a balancing act. Not to mention, I work extremely late into the evening, after my son is fed, bathed and down for the night, then I make dinner for me and my husband, clean up, and go straight back to work. At the end of the day, it’s quiet and no email is coming in, so I can focus and write, respond to emails, etc. It’s a balancing act no doubt, but being with my children every day is the best part of having my own company. But I love being a mom and also love my career so much, it's worth the effort to make both things work together.
I’ll try to narrow it down to 3 pieces of advice:
1) Start a business doing something you are extremely passionate about and are genuinely interested in. You will likely work harder than ever, but when it’s your passion, you are inspired to work harder and it feels rewarding and exciting every day. If you are going to be away from your child, you need to love what you are doing to make it all worthwhile.
2) Network like crazy! Share your new business and passion with people in your existing network of friends and family, through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Linkedin. When you share your passion and tell people about what you are doing with your new business, they will genuinely want to help you and connect you with others who could be beneficial connections for you. Attend networking events that directly relate to your field or are closely associated with what your business is, and share your passion with new people you meet. And the most important piece of advice for being a good at networking is to ALWAYS be reliable and follow up on things you say you are going to do! Thank people for their time, send an email or phone call, and provide some kind of call to action for them. Being reliable really sets people apart, because unfortunately most people aren't!
And finally 3) Create beautiful branding. Choose a business name and create a memorable, beautiful, and creative logo that will stand out and create a strong brand identity for your business. Include this on your business cards, company website, etc. Having strong brand collateral makes you appear professional and leaves a lasting impression on people you meet and potential customers. This doesn’t have to be expensive, but having a strong brand identity through beautiful and creative marketing collateral, a great company name, and business cards will absolutely pay for itself!
We want to congratulate Jen again on the arrival of her 2nd son and thank her for taking the time to answer our questions. If you or someone you know is starting a business and looking for an amazing PR company, check out Jeneration PR. Jen is simply incredible!
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