We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jenna Duncan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jenna, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I think more than me finding my purpose, my purpose kind of found me? If you had told me in high school that I’d own 2 successful businesses at this point in life, I don’t think I would have believed it. It’s so interesting to look back on how little details in my past lead me to where I am now. I remember back in middle school my best friend got a camera, and we became obsessed with it. We’d do cheesy little photo shoots regularly and it inspired me to work towards getting my own camera. I continued photography over the years and planned on pursuing photography in college. When I began classes, I felt like I was really missing the business aspect of running my own photography business, and decided to take some business classes instead. Once I started those business classes, I switched my major to marketing! That’s really when I discovered my passion for business and where I met so many people that inspired me to become an entrepreneur.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I own two e-commerce businesses together with my husband. Along with being partial owner and overseeing all the day to day activities, my primary role in both businesses is product design, photography, and overseeing marketing and social media. Essentially, I’m the creative side of the businesses, while my husband is the logistical side!
The first business I started is Geode Swimwear. We began Geode almost 6 years ago while my husband and I were still in college. I began Geode because I prefer women’s swimsuits that offer a little more coverage- ones that I can move around in and not feel like anything is going to slip out haha. I still wanted to feel trendy and mature in a more full coverage swimsuit, but no matter where I looked I could NEVER seem to find what I wanted. My husband was passionate about all types of business, and when I expressed my frustration he encouraged me to do something about it. And that’s where Geode was born!
Our second business is Altair the Label, which we began in August of 2023. Altair specializes in women’s clothing- specifically matching sets, pajamas, and resort wear. The goal of Altair is to make getting dressed easy- we aim for comfortable and high quality flattering cuts that can be worn in the matching set or mixed and matched for endless staying possibilities. Altair was inspired primarily from working from home- I found myself lost on what to wear so often, wanting to be comfortable but still having a desire to dress stylish, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to start up another brand!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, one of the skills that played the biggest part in my success was actually photography. Being online businesses, the way in which each brand and product is presented on our website is so incredibly important. Think about walking into a nice store- a well designed store will stimulate multiple senses; its organized and clean, smells fresh, workers are friendly, it’s just the right temperature, etc. When someone comes across an online store, you have to find a way to communicate all the qualities of your business with a single look- and that’s why good photography is crucial. I wasn’t a very strong photographer when I first started Geode, but over years of practice, research, and loads of mistakes, I’ve gotten to a spot I’m happy with. I should note that of course you can hire a photographer as a business owner, but there’s a lot of power (and money saved) with being able to execute shoots in exactly the way I imagine.
Another skill that has been so impactful on my journey is digital design and creativity. I have always had a bit of a natural knack for design- but again, as an online business so much relies on visual presentation and being able to communicate ideas with design. I think almost anyone can be good at graphic design as long as you put in the work. There’s so many amazing tools out there- I use Pinterest a ton for inspiration when I’m designing, and there’s countless youtube video and courses out there that have great information.
The third thing I’d say is a bit of both a quality and a skill; resilience. I cannot stress how important this is as a business owner! I can’t tell you how often I’m feeling on top of the world one day only to get knocked to the ground the next. And I think sometimes when people get knocked to the ground they start thinking it’s not meant to be, and they stop trying. In those times, you really just gotta push through until you come out on the other side (and sometimes also get a yummy snack and go for a walk to clear your head-that helps too!)
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I touched a bit on this before- but when you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s so important to take a step back and look at the big picture. At one point my husband and I were flipping this old run down house- we didn’t have the best handyman skills, and every “simple” project seemed to take a thousand times longer than expected. At one point we were re-texturing the ceiling by hand, and it was SO tedious. I’d stamp a patch of texture on and it just felt like it looked SO bad up close! But I trusted the process and kept going over the whole ceiling, took a step back and you know what? It looked pretty good! Like in life and in business, when I looked too close at the little pieces and got up close with the imperfections, I didn’t like what I saw. But when I took a step back, all the pieces worked together and I realized the imperfections were just a natural part of the design.
More specifically, when I find myself getting caught up and overwhelmed with the little details, taking some time to play in the backyard with my daughter or going on a walk with my dog is such a good way for me to feel grounded again. Find what helps you take a step back and see the bigger picture or the end goal, and focus on that when it all feels like too much!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://geodeswimwear.com/
- Instagram: @geodeswimwear
- Other: https://altairthelabel.com/
Instagram: @altair.the.label
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