A personal note from Jennifer at Founder’s Mirror

How do you know when it’s time to go “all in” on your entrepreneurial endeavors? I faced that exact question, and the answer turned out to be one of the hardest yet easiest decisions of my career to day. Let me explain.

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For nearly four years, I worked as the right hand to Kelly St. John, beauty industry icon, former Estée Lauder and Neiman Marcus executive, and the founder of KSJ Collective, a strategic growth consultancy for emerging beauty brands. Kelly has been a longtime friend and someone I deeply admire. We met in 2008 when I was fresh out of college and she was pregnant with her second child. From day one, her warmth, beauty, and poise made me feel connected with her. That was the beginning of my professional journey at Neiman Marcus, where I stayed for almost nine years.

After leaving Neiman’s, I pursued a long-standing dream: to teach fashion at the collegiate level. I earned my master’s degree, studying in Italy with luxury fashion houses, no less, and went on to teach in Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University. That chapter was both professionally fulfilling and unexpectedly formative.

Kelly and I always stayed in touch. In fact, when she ventured on her own to create KSJ Collective, I helped her do the backend stuff I knew she didn’t want to do (think email setup, backend systems, website support, operations) and even laid the groundwork for her first website. I didn’t know it then, but something important had been sparked.

After teaching, I found myself in another transition: newly married, six months pregnant, and feeling a nudge that it was time to shift things. The environment at CSU was changing in ways that didn’t feel aligned with my values, so I reached back out to Kelly to see how things were going with her business. She was at a pivotal juncture. She’d built an impressive business but needed support building infrastructure to make it sustainable long-term. Ding, ding, ding. Our paths were meant to cross professionally yet again.

I started part-time, mostly as an executive assistant. But the role grew quickly. Eventually, I became her Chief of Staff, leading operations, building internal infrastructure, being a thought partner for strategic decisions, and a sounding board for the team. All while navigating marriage and motherhood.

I played a lead role in the KSJ Collective rebrand in 2022, pitching the visual direction and art strategy. It was so interesting to me and honestly felt like I was accessing creativity that had been dormant since my early twenties. It was strategy. It was art. It was image. And I loved it. People in my circle saw the transformation and started asking me to help with their brands and websites. One project turned into another. I kept saying yes, and somewhere in the middle of all that, Founder’s Mirror started to quietly take shape.

Visual Inspiration for KSJC Rebrand 2022/2023. Photo Credit: WGSN

In 2023, Cody and I were doing a lot of praying, dreaming, and scribbling ideas on whiteboards. We’d both been feeling a tug toward something entrepreneurial as a couple. Ironically, it was Pinterest that cracked the door open. I had always avoided the platform because I knew it was a time-suck, but I caved—entering Pinterest arena night after night (much to my cortisol level’s dismay). I was seeing people build digital businesses and creative brands online. Not just pretty moodboards, but fully operational systems. And I thought, wait… maybe this is possible for us.

We went to a business retreat. We mapped out a million pros and cons. Cody left his engineering job. We landed a major retainer-based client. And Founder’s Mirror got its legs.

It was thrilling. It was a gift.

Then my son turned three.

I had always felt, deep down, that Barrett’s first few years were a grace period. I could hustle, and he’d be okay. But when he turned three, something shifted. There was no dramatic moment. Just a knowing, the kind that only a mother can really understand.

Everything, from the stress to the motherly intuition, came to a head one December day.

A wave of legal concerns hit us (everything was fine… other than my blood pressure). Early morning calls. Back-to-back deadlines. A long list of personal obligations. I walked in the door at 8:40 PM and realized I’d barely seen my son that day. And this thought hit me:

What if I focused on my son and nurturing the business we were building? And, maybe more importantly, what would happen if I didn’t?

It would mean letting go of something I loved. A role that held weight. A season of a relationship I cherished. A title that brought respect. A team I genuinely cared about.

Cody and I decided to each take a few days alone to process and pray (someone should make that their tagline, lol!), then discuss what we were feeling on Sunday night. We both felt the same thing: It was time for me to resign from KSJ Collective (writing that still makes my heart ache), time to release something good to make space for what was next.

On a cold Friday afternoon in January, after all the Christmas festivities were done, I called Kelly and gave my notice. Neither one of us could believe we were even having the conversation. After I hung up, I bawled my eyes out for an hour. In only the way a 3-year-old can, Barrett was a tender comforter.

Because even when you know—especially when you know—it’s the right choice, that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

When you love someone that much
When you’ve grown something together
When you’ve shared vision, trust, and so many meaningful moments

Letting go hurts.

But sometimes the ache is the invitation. The proof you’re moving toward something honest and open and new.