Living the Dream: Jen Groover
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Name: Jen Groover
Age: 34
Location: Philadelphia
Education: Bachelor of Science in Education & Psychology at Kutztown University in Jackson, Pa.
Job Title: CEO of Jen Groover Productions
What She Does: Jen is an idea maven. After helping her consulting clients start million-dollar companies, she decided it was time to get in on the action. She created the highly successful Butler Bags Co., the world’s first inner-compartmentalized handbag, as seen in O magazine. In addition, she recently signed a global licensing deal that will allow her children’s-edutainment-based toys and games to come to fruition. She speaks regularly to women’s groups, encouraging women to jump onto the entrepreneurial path, and created the What If? & Why Not? blog to complement her upcoming book on the same topic.
How She Got Her Gig: One day, while standing in line, Jen dug frantically through her purse, looking for what she needed. With two screaming babies and a line full of people behind her, she knew there had to be a better way. At that moment, Jen had an epiphany. She headed home and went to work, putting a dishwasher tray in her diaper bag. Suddenly, everything in her purse/diaper bag was in order. And that’s how she created the Butler Bag Co., which saw sales of more than $1 million in its first year on the market.
Secret of Success: “Creating is simply observing an opportunity and taking advantage of it. If you can do one thing well, you can do many more things equally well,” she says. Jen ultimately credits her success on her ability to build on each project she’s engaged in. One success led her to the next.
The Glam Life: In Jen’s world, there’s no such thing as a typical day. She spends half her week in New York City and the other half in Philadelphia. Her time in Philly is ”less glamorous” but not less productive. She drives her twin 3-year-old girls to school and goes to her office to catch up on e-mails and check in with her staff of 20. In NYC, Jen glams it up. She holds a variety of meetings on everything from discussing the current expansion of her handbag line with the licensing company to working with her publicist on strategy, or meeting with an integrated media company on using Web 3.0 with women-owned businesses. From there, she’ll attend industry events and dinners, calling it a night at her New York City hotel room.
Saying No to Negativity: “When I was launching Butler Bags, everyone told me it would never work. I was criticized for going up against other big-name handbag companies, primarily because the handbag industry is known for brand loyalty,” says Jen. “In the end, though, success is all about having a vision and enough conviction to move forward despite what others say.”
This Job’s for You if: You’re determined and have perseverance, conviction, humility, and, most importantly, a ”What if and why not?” attitude. “Just because things haven’t been done before or haven’t been successful doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Follow your intuition. It’s a gift we as women have, and it’s the most powerful tool we can use.”