Meet Jennifer Porter

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jennifer Porter. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jennifer, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I think at this point in my career – 25 years of entrepreneurship – my resilience comes from the experience of knowing that there is a solution to every single challenge. It wasn’t always this clear during the early days of launching my e-commerce business to serve independent fashion designers and retailers. Thankfully, time and testing has been the ultimate training to develop the to recognize that if progress is the goal, it is absolutely possible.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I founded Satsuma Designs in 2007 to serve families searching for eco-friendly baby products that were soft, durable, and adorable. To establish my values around sustainability, I selected earth-first fabrics for our products and worked with Seattle-based factories to cut and sew our products. More than 20 years later, I am now one of those factories cutting and sewing school uniforms as well as contract sewing for other local brands. It has been a super journey in which I have developed countless relationships with partners and customers. These ties to my community are where I find my purpose.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

As an experienced business owner, I have a mix of feeling reflecting on what I’ve accomplished, failed at, been inspired and disappointed by.

A few threads connect all of the dots for me.

The first is a keen focus to look ahead. Projecting, planning, and dreaming have been my keys to making my business journey joyful. I think this future casting really helps my creativity. It has taken time to build the confidence to allow myself to just articulate the possibilities without judgement. If you can learn this early, it will help so much.

The second is that you simply MUST live your product or service to be successful and inspired each day. Think of yourself as your first, best customer. Now, do everything in your control to delight yourself with the product or service. And develop it to continually improve the process and outcome.

Finally, work with others. Ask for help. Collaborate with partners. Listen to your customers. Care for your clients. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely path and you will insure your longevity and success by connecting instead of going it alone.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

I have struggled with overwhelm at so many different times in my business journey. My first salve is to sleep on it. Typically, any issue I’m facing will be best addressed after I’ve slept or eaten. Do not underestimate the mind-body connection and take care to develop routines that keep you healthy.

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(C) Satsuma Designs

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