Name: Jessica Hendricks
Age: 27
Job Title and Description: Founder of The Brave Collection
College Name/Major: New York University/Tisch School of the Arts, Drama Major
Website: www.thebravecollection.com
Twitter Handle: @BraveCollection
What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
Jessica Hendricks: When you own a small business, you quickly become a jack of all trades, as you must learn to manage so many different aspects of the business. There is the creative side (designing and branding), the sales and marketing side (working on expanding our wholesale and direct channels) and the business side (managing cash flow and number goals). Each day presents a new challenge.
What is the best part of your job?
JH: The best part of my job is that I get to collaborate with our artisan partners in Cambodia on an almost-daily basis. Even if it’s just corresponding by email, being able to partner with people who have had such different lives than my own on a daily basis in an amazing gift because my frame of reference is constantly expanding and I know theirs is too.
What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
JH: I worked for my family’s jewelry store. It all seemed so natural and commonplace at the time, I had no idea how much I was learning. I think back to the basic, first-hand experience I learned on the sales floor constantly. There’s nothing that can replace that kind of education.
What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
JH: There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who talk about doing and those who do.
What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
JH: The mistake I’ve made several times is [considering] giving up. Building something from scratch is incredibly difficult, and there were many moments where I nearly gave up. In any career, making decisions from a place of power is always preferable, and I’ve learned that ducking out when things get rocky isn’t an option.
What has been the most surreal moment of your career thus far?
JH: Getting invited to the White House was pretty amazing. I was lucky enough to be one of 75 entrepreneurs invited to witness President Obama’s speech encouraging Emerging Global Entrepreneurs. It was this amazing moment where I realized that if you believe in what you’re doing, others will notice, and then there is no ceiling.
What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
JH: Passion and a great attitude. I am so passionate about what I do, so I love working with others who believe in our brand and the work we are doing as much as I do. With a small company, there are always opportunities to go the extra mile, and the person who is passionate will be that person that follows through on small details and makes the extra effort to be sure our brand is presented in the right light.
What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
JH: When you’re just out of school, it feels like the scariest time to pave your own path when everyone else is entering into a world with so much structure. While taking a few years to gain experience is smart, your early 20s are also an amazing time to take risks because you can afford to fail and fail again and get back up again just fine. The older you get, the harder it can feel to take risks.