1. Did you ever imagine yourself achieving what you have?
Absolutely not.
2. What in hindsight would you say you underestimated about your industry or business and why?
I underestimated how much money it would take to get the product launched and way underestimated the marketing dollars.
3. What is the best business related advice you have ever been given?
Never give up on yourself, if you truly believe that you have a great business idea don’t let others get you down or fill your head with negative thoughts
4. What does you love most about what you do and why?
I love getting messages from women who go out of their way to thank me for making such a great product & how much they love my clothes. Many of them are just like I was, frustrated with the lack of selection in great fitting, well-made maternity work wear. I save them in a file so when I am having a bad day I read through them to reaffirm to myself that what I am doing affects other women in a positive way.
5. What if you knew then what you know now – would you do differently and why?
I would have done a more grass roots approach and not spent so much money on e-commerce items. Word of mouth is still the strongest asset to selling a product.
6. When you’re not working how do you like to spend your time?
Like all other working moms, with my family & friends. I love to travel to new places and eat great food too!
7. How do you define success?
I have different categories for business and personal. Business- when my brand is commonly known in the maternity world as having a great product with the best customer service. Personal- parenting to the best of my abilities. Being the best role model for our kids and having them want to be around us when they are older! My oldest stepson now 24 recently thanked us for being “parents” and providing structure, and never giving up on him. I see too many parents try to be their kids “buddy” and not their parent. It was wonderful to hear that from him. One down four to go!
8. If you had to share one final thought with our audience of thousands of women in business what would it be?
Show your business plan to diverse people (finance, marketing, etc.) and get advice on it, it’s always good to have a second opinion. Don’t quit your day job until your new business is fully up and running and can support you economically. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, there are a lot of people out there that like to see small businesses succeed. If they don’t know the answer ask them if they know anyone who might, networking is still the best way.
About Jennifer
Jennifer originally conceived the idea of Suits Your Belly during her first pregnancy when she was trying to look and feel good while working as an executive at a Fortune 100 company. She was frustrated by the lack of selection in great fitting, well made maternity work clothes. Jennifer felt like a slob going to work every day and my increasing waistline didn’t help the situation. She searched everywhere for better maternity work wear with no luck. Two years later, with her second pregnancy, there were great advancements with baby gear and gadgets but still no improvements in selection or quality of maternity work clothes. So, she drew up the plans for the first suit and sent it to a tailor who helped me take her ideas from paper to samples. Jennifer’s greatest affirmation came when she wore the early samples during her pregnancy and women (many non-pregnant) stopped me to ask her where she bought her beautiful suit. After many cycles of trying it on all different body types of pregnant women and reworking the pattern, Jennifer believes they have perfected the design. The exclusive Zip in Panel design(patent pending) contributes not only to the comfort of the pants but also to your budget. Being a working mom, Jennifer is very practical and value driven. These pants are not only the most comfortable maternity pants you will own but they will also transform with your body as you grow, eliminating the need to purchase different types of pants throughout your pregnancy.