BOSS

Jewelry designer Jennifer Fisher schools us on the business of being a businesswoman

BY PHOEBE DE CROISSET

PHOEBE DE CROISSET Jen! We’re so happy to have you here!

JENNIFER FISHER I’m excited!

PC Ok. First question. If we looked you up in the dictionary, what would your definition be?

JF I would say fighter. That’s the first word I ever put on a piece of jewelry. It wasn’t something that was a date or name or heirloom. Fighter was the first word that really encompassed what I had been through and how I would identify myself.

PC And the title of your autobiography would be…?

JF Bitch Better Have My Money. You know, another thing that we have up in the office is “Fuck You, Pay Me.” It’s on the wall in my office – someone gave it to me!

PC So you definitely fall in the category of “tough” businesswoman.

JF Definitely. I am aggressive, maybe too aggressive for some women’s – rarely men’s – tastes. I don’t care. It’s who I am and I don’t apologize for it.

PC How do you think your upbringing prepared you for your role now?

JF My father taught me how to work hard at a young age for what I wanted and believed in and I hold this childhood advice near and dear daily. It’s how I have built this brand. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. And don’t take no for an answer. For every person who tells you “No” there are five more who will say “Yes”.

PC So is being persistent the answer? How do you get what you want?

JF By being nice to everyone and always following through. Also, consciously doing the right thing. You know in your gut when you aren’t, so don’t.

PC What makes you the most proud of where you are today?

JF Building this business… building this business without any connections or outside funding… or experience. I made it up as I went along. Well, I mean I studied business marketing but I’d always been an entrepreneur…

PC Really? So Jennifer Fisher Jewelry wasn’t your first company?

JF No! I started my first company when I was five. I’ve been an entrepreneur my entire life. I started JJ Button Ears with my babysitter when my parents were on vacation in Europe. My Mom still has some! By the time they got home, we had printed cards with these little button earrings. Actually, before that I would go sell my Dad’s avocados around the neighborhood.

PC So, your husband is the President of your company…

JF Yes! We gave him the President title.

PC How is that?

JF It’s interesting!

PC Being partners in life and work can be a tricky balancing act. How do you make it work?

JF Yes. He’s always been a part of my work so he’s always been in that role, in a way. You know, I’ve had to do this on my own, without really a mentor – coming out of the fashion fund and not being one of the three winners, although finalist is awesome! Anyway, they get these mentors, and I had to really do it on my own. So Kevin has been my sounding board through a lot of this. He’s always been there and whenever we both got home from whatever we were doing, we always talked about it. The morning and evening routine when we’re home together is a little more difficult, because we try not to talk about work at home. We also don’t commute together, which is helpful. It’s a good rule.

PC Your Instagram feed is one of our favorites! Are there ever days you feel overwhelmed and “over it” or are you having as much fun with it as it looks?

JF I studied Business Marketing at The University of California. I run and post all of my own social media. I love it. My social is not perfect, but it is real and not manufactured by anyone else. Yes, the colors are not always the same, and my “Grid” never matches, but I am human and real and all over the place being a mother, designer and business owner. I feel the reality of my feed resonates with a specific demographic of customer and it is working. I have no intention of changing it. Haters gonna hate. Just block them. You aren’t going to be everyone’s flavor.