Mompreneur: “is defined as a female business owner who is actively balancing the role of mom and the role of entrepreneur.[1] A lot of times when you find the word “mompreneur” you will see a lot of articles written on the topic of work/life balance. Something that the majority of the population already struggles with. Add to that a super driven mother and wife that is attempting to get her business off the ground, already has an established business, or a high demand position in her workplace then we aren’t really looking at a just “mom” anymore. We are sort of looking at a the supermoms of the world possibly ;) The unique thing about a mom living her life by design, is that the worlds she lives in are almost like apples and oranges, a ying and yang if you will. It becomes a constant struggle for any female business owner that is also a mom to keep her worlds from colliding. And often there comes an understanding after a bit of trial and error that there isn’t any way to balance it all “perfectly”.
These women are beautiful, inspiring and following the lead of the wind. Traits I appreciate most in people. So lets’ start the series shall we? We will begin with Bridget Jones… Be sure and stayed tuned until after the jump as she has an amazing offer up and special event that starts today and runs through Saturday!! 
Momprenuer Interview #1
Your Name: Bridget Jones
Company Name: Just Between Friends Georgetown/ Round Rock Web
and Social Media Links: Website: http://roundrock.jbfsale.com/homeView.jsp
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JBFRoundRock
How did you decide on the name of your business? Just Between Friends is a franchise so I didn’t get to choose the name myself, but the wonderful name comes from the idea of shopping and saving gently used children’s and maternity items and the secret is Just Between Friends.
How long has your business been around? Just Between Friends was started in 1997 and our franchise Just Between Friends Georgetown/ Round Rock will celebrate our 10 year anniversary in the Spring of 2016!
Tell us more about your product/business and how you developed the concept behind it: Just Between Friends is a seasonal sales event where communities come together to buy and sell the best in gently-used children’s and maternity items at HUGE SAVINGS. The idea was started by our cofounders, Shannon Wilburn (CEO) and Daven Tackett (owner of JBF Tulsa) in their living room. It has now grown into a franchise of 150 territories with 300-400 sales a year! I discovered JBF when I was pregnant with my first child. After going as a first time mom to one of the exclusive presales, I was hooked! I never missed a sale and then after I was diagnosed with cancer, had left my teaching job, my husband and I decided to jump in head first and own a JBF. It has been one of the most challenging and fun things I have ever done.
What makes your business so unique? JBF is unique because it benefits the community in so many ways! Shoppers benefit because they are saving 50-90% off of retail prices. Consignors are making 60-80% of what they sell at the JBF event and also getting to shop our exclusive presale! Our team members get a chance to serve the community while enjoying some “adult time” and increasing their sales percentage and earning presale passes. Many of our consignors also choose to donate their unsold items to our charity partner the Texas Baptist Children’s Home. Our sale is also unique because of our standards. We try to only offer the highest quality items to our shoppers; this means items must have working batteries no rips, no stains, etc. JBF also has a full time recall specialist on staff who keeps us up to date on current safety standards and recalls. At our sale our recall specialist checks items during drop and pulls any that we find that don’t meet safety standards or has been recalled and not repaired. We want the best for our shoppers and that also means we want safety for them.
Do you have a storefront? Do you work from home? Sorta… both! This is a tough question for me. :) My day to day work is out of my home. Which provides me with the chance to be at home with my kids and able to get out and do things with them while promoting JBF in the community. During the weeks of the sale we rent a venue and host the event, so at that time we do have a storefront.
How do you balance it all? I don’t! Haha! We make it work though. Some days I am a great business owner, others I am a better mom, and others I am a better wife (I am never a great housekeeper, but I try!) J I have come to grips that I can’t do it all and be great at it all. I’m lucky to be married to an amazing man who helps so much even though he is busy with his coaching career as a head girls basketball coach. I also pray…a LOT! Some days it is by God’s strength alone that I make it and things get done.
What is one piece of advice you can give to any mom starting their business? Don’t give up! It will be WAY more challenging than you expect (and probably cost you even more!), but if you love what you do it is worth it! I love that when I “work” it doesn’t feel like it! I truly love serving the community through JBF and want to grow it to be an amazing way for families to provide for their kids. #bestjobever
What is the best aspect about having your own business? It is mine! I can change it, grow it, and be flexible about what I need from it. Don’t get me wrong, it is demanding and I work more than I thought I would (mostly because I LOVE JBF!), but I love that I can see my kids more and serve my family. I also do a lot of work from my phone with Facebook, email, Google Docs, etc. so I love that I can be so flexible with my schedule because I can work from almost anywhere when I am prepping for the event.
What is the part you struggle with the most in your business? Time! I have two small children (3 years and 7 months) who demand a lot of my time. They do not care that mommy has to answer emails, order supplies, or build a social media plan; all they know is that they are hungry, want to play, etc. Sometimes working from home with them is tough, but I know someday I will be working in my office and miss looking into their playroom and seeing them giggle together or saying, “Mommy come play with us!”
What did you wish you knew before starting a business? I wished I would have understood the time commitment. I am on call 24/7 with email, texts, phone calls, social media, etc. It doesn’t matter if it is the weekend, middle of the night, holidays, etc. we want to serve our consignors, shoppers, and team members with the best customer service. I was even answering Facebook posts and emails right after I had my C-section in December. Good or bad JBF never stops for me because so many people depend on me. (What an honor!)
Do you have a future or long terms goals with your business? Of course! We have LOTS of big plans for JBF in the future! Since we took over it has been amazing and we know our growth is due to our fantastic JBF family! Recently we were honored with 3 awards that were voted on by the Austin area families: 2014 Hulafrog’s #1 Most Loved Kids Consignment, 2014 Consignment Mommies Best Consignment Sale for the Austin Region, and 2015 Hulafrog’s Most Loved Kids Consignment. We are working on improving some special programs such as VIP tagging where we take consignors items year round and any season and prep them for the sale for the consignor. Then the consignor sits back and waits for their check! It doesn’t get any easier than that! For me JBF is a passion and something that never stops! I am constantly thinking of ways to make our sale the BEST experience for our shoppers, consignors, and team members!
Fun Facts:
What do you love to do when you’re not being supermom? Honestly, I love to be with my husband whether it is working on a project around the house, hosting a get together with friends, or even just putting the kids to bed. He is my best friend and I just love being with him. I wish we had more time to go to the movies or enjoy a quiet meal together, but in the phase of life with small children those times are rare, but precious.
What is your favorite household product? My iPhone! It does so much for me in my work life and my personal life. I love that I can snap the kids’ picture, send an email, and connect with the world all from one device.
What wardrobe staple can you not live without? I am tshirt kind of gal! I always want to be super cute and wear lots of jewelry, the latest fashion, gosh even heels, but I’m most comfortable in a tshirt. You can usually find me running around town in a JBF tshirt. :)
What was your first job? I worked at a skating rink! I taught skating lessons, hosted birthday parties, and worked the cash register at the snack bar. It was a great job when I was 16.
What celebrity would you love to have dinner with? This was tough one! My answer has three parts because I couldn’t decide, my answers are cliché, but honest: J Jesus, because I want to thank him for loving me so uncoditionaly and for dying on the cross for me. Plus I have so many questions about life, his life, etc. Taylor Swift, because she brings out my young side and her music makes me feel good. I went to a concert of hers when I was teaching middle school and pregnant with my daughter and I LOVED what a positive role model she was and how she spoke so much positivity to her fans during the show.
What was the last book you read? Lately I have been doing my “reading” by listening to audiobooks through my iPhone because that is something I can do while washing the dishes or working in my office. I just finished Life of Pi by Yann Martel. It was not my usual genre of book, but I really enjoyed the imagery and style.
Is there any piece of advice, tips, events happening or discounts you would like to share with our readers? Yes! Let’s give all of your readers a FREE pass to our next JBF event! *contact: bridgetjones@jbfsale.com for the pass!* October 14-17 Old Settlers Association 3300 E Palm Valley Blvd Round Rock