062. Jessica Hotz: Secrets to Building a Successful Non-Profit

From teaching children to starting a non-profit and launching a small business development program, Jessica Hotz has always had one goal in life: to elevate people.

​​Jessica is the co-founder of Elevate, a social enterprise focused on empowering families through small business development and expanding the reach of the gospel through high-quality leather goods.

In this episode, ​​Jessica shares a behind-the-scenes look at her journey – including a life-altering trip to India, the ins and outs of product design, navigating shifts in the market post-pandemic, and secrets to building a successful non-profit.

WILDFLOWER SHOWNOTES : shannaskidmore.com/jessica-hotz

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Transcript

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Jessica (00:00):

I'll never forget a conversation we had with a family that had built and sold their company and they were interested in being a part of what God was doing around them. We had a meal together and they said, what's your dream order of these products? And we showed them our purchase order that we wanted to purchase that we couldn't afford. And he said, double it and I'll pay for it. And we were like, what?

Shanna (00:25):

You're listening to consider the Wildflowers the podcast episode 62. For those of you who celebrate Happy Thanksgiving, I love the intentionality of November and taking time to slow down and be grateful for all we have. Our guest today is so fitting as she has grown a company all about giving back. From teaching children to starting a nonprofit to launching a small business development program, Jessica Hutz has always had one goal in life to elevate people. Jessica is the co-founder of Elevate a social enterprise focus on empowering families through small business development and expanding the reach of the gospel through high quality leather goods. In this episode, Jessica shares a behind the scenes look at her journey, including a life altering trip to India, the ins and outs of product design, navigating shifts in the market post pandemic and secrets to building a successful nonprofit. If you dig professional bios, here goes.

(01:15):

Jessica Huts is the co-founder of Elevate a social enterprise, focusing on empowering families through small business development and expanding the reach of the gospel through high quality leather goods. She also co-founded and currently serves as the executive director of Activate Global, a missions organization committed to taking the love of Jesus to 15 of the hardest to reach countries in the world. World Together Activate Global and Elevate. Have launched 384 small businesses, trained 637 leaders, established 568 new churches and engaged 142 unreached people groups with the gospel. When she isn't traveling, you can find Jessica on her front porch in Lincoln, Nebraska enjoying a book with her Pup Winston. Okay, formal introduction's over. Let's dive in. Hey, it's Shanna and this is Consider the Wildflowers, the podcast. For the past 15 plus years, I've had the honor to hear thousands of stories from entrepreneurs around the world.

(02:05):

As a former Fortune 100 financial advisor turned business consultant, I have a unique opportunity to see the reel. Behind the highlight reel. I'm talking profit and loss statements, unpaid taxes, moments of burnout, and those of utter victory. Or as my husband says, the content everyone is wondering but not many are talking about. And now I'm bringing these private conversations to you. Hear the untold stories of how industry leaders, founders, and up and coming entrepreneurs got their start, the experiences that shaped them and the journey to building the brands they have today. Stories that will inspire and reignite encourage to redefine success and build a life and business on your own terms. Welcome Wildflower. I'm so glad you're here. Hey Jess, thanks so much for coming on this show today. I am just so excited to get to know you. So welcome.

Jessica (02:50):

Thank you, Shanna. Yeah, I'm glad to be a part of a conversation today. This is great.

Shanna (02:54):

This is going to be fun. So Lauren on my team is so sweet and she was like, we have to get Jessica on the show. And so I don't know a ton about your story or your businesses and so I'm just really excited and curious to hear more of your journey. So I just kind of want to kick it off. Let's start way back. I literally am like a blank slate here. Nothing. First time meeting. Tell me kind of life before business if Elevate was your first business. I just want to kind of hear the backstory.

Jessica (03:24):

Yeah, totally. So, yep, elevate is my first business. In fact, I have zero business background. My husband and I felt compelled by God to move to South Asia, to a city in India and to just serve people. And it was really out of that that I realized by meeting a community of really incredible people that business income generating activities could be a force for change in the world. And that is totally what fueled what would later become Elevate. We went to India to serve, to, I did teaching with kids that were living in difficult situations or on the street side. So it was truly out of this kind nonprofit calling, if you will. This is solely ministry calling that I even was projected overseas. In fact, I was in a super low position in a fashion company before I moved to India. And honestly, I was just like, this is not for me. I'm meant to go serve vulnerable communities around the world. I'm getting out of the fashion industry, thought I'd never be back ever. And had no idea that that would later just be a huge part of my story. And so yeah, really moving overseas as a 22 year old is what propelled this whole journey. So that was the start. Yeah, it's kind of

Shanna (04:56):

Crazy. Okay. Did you think you wanted to work in fashion and tell me, give me a timeframe, what year was all of this?

Jessica (05:04):

Yeah, so I'm horrible with numbers and time, but it's eight years ago that nine years ago we moved overseas and eight years ago we started the formation of Elevate. Yeah, so I was 22 years old and this was like

Shanna (05:25):

What, 2015 I guess?

Jessica (05:26):

Yep, exactly. 2015. Yeah.

Shanna (05:29):

Okay. So you were working in fashion. Did you want to work in fashion? Was that your goal? Was that the career you thought was made for you?

Jessica (05:38):

No, not at all. Honestly. I was in education background, so I was in elementary education and I wanted to be a principal or superintendent of schools and just thought really the school system could be a pretty cool place to be a part of making a difference. That was a big part of my story, feeling. A big part of who God made me to be was just somebody who made a difference in people's lives. I don't know if I would've thought about it a ton on the macro scale, but really just in the lives of people. And so I was like, okay. At the time I just didn't have a great view of business. I wasn't super oriented to it. I had no idea that business could be a modality for that. So I was in education and so moved overseas with really an educational background, which is what propelled me into that kids program and helping teaching kiddos in India. And so yeah, that was where I came from. Never in a million years thought I would be in the fashion industry. Just was not necessarily, I mean I enjoyed some things about fashion and stuff, but I was not necessarily, I want to make a career of this. No way. That was not on my radar at all.

Shanna (06:54):

Had you been to India before, what made you and your husband decide, okay, this is where, I mean, is your husband in education as well? That's a big move.

Jessica (07:03):

I know it's a huge move. Yeah, actually, so a cool part of our story, we're both from the state of Nebraska, relatively small towns for me and him for a really small town in Nebraska. And we were both education majors. We actually met each other in India, which is amazing. So we were on this short-term trip.

Shanna (07:23):

That's awesome. For

Jessica (07:24):

Six weeks, just getting awareness of some of the global needs, extreme poverty, I mean, you name it, there's a lot of work in anti-trafficking. We got exposed to just a lot of things. And I think if anyone listening has been to India, it's like, man, you can't go to India and not be changed in a really profound way. At least that was our story. And so we were kind of like, God give us a vision for our lives that went way more global than we imagined. And that was the part of our start was meeting each other and really connecting on the rooftop in India. And we were like, I think you could do this. And so we move or we come back from that short trip, we end up dating about a month later, get married about a year after that, and we were like, we've got to go back to India. So that was what kind of

Shanna (08:19):

You both knew that was just the call. Yeah, we

Jessica (08:23):

Definitely knew, which I don't know that, I don't know how in the world it would've worked if one's heart was burning that way and the other wasn't. That's a crazy place to start your life together.

Shanna (08:33):

Okay, so you moved to India, you're working in education and you start seeing that you could help the community by, like you said, a business income producing, income generating activities, talk through the beginning of the stirring in your heart, you know, wanted to start the business you have now. Did you go through a lot of iterations? How did the business really come to be?

Jessica (09:04):

Yeah, so we were in our community, so we lived in this part of the community and we got to know a family in that community. And some friends of ours had introduced us to this family and they said, you really need to meet them. They're really incredible, but they're having a really hard time getting some of their work off the ground now. They loved and followed Jesus. They had endured a lot of just persecution in life and we were really interested in being a part of their story because we were just totally smitten by this family. The dreams in their heart, I mean, they were serving kiddos and helping women understand just doing community programs that we thought were just fantastic. And at the same time, they were enduring a lot of hardship personally as a family, and we got to know them. We spent a lot of time with them.

(10:02):

We just became family and asked them one day, you know what? What's a dream that God's put in your heart? And they kind of looked at each other and as hesitated, but then they were like, actually, we've always really wanted to start a business because we don't want our work of serving others in the community. And you could tell they were saying this with a little bit of risk, but they said, we don't want it to be dependent on foreign people in order for us to do the work that we feel like God has called us to do. And we were like, wow, yeah, that makes a ton of sense. So what do you have in mind? And they're like, oh, well, we're all leather people. And I was like, leather people in a million years. I just didn't think anything about leather, leather, handbags, just nothing.

(10:55):

And I was like, okay. So really Shannon, where our story started was the birth of other peoples. That is what Elevate has continued to be about. It's what our whole lives are about now, is hearing those dreams in people's hearts and getting to be a part of actualizing those. And it's like, it's fun, it's vision level, but it's really gritty and practical too. And so we sat with this one family and heard their dream of a leather business that they owned themselves, that they weren't exploited by working in another leather workshop or getting fired for their backgrounds and some of that just injustice and stuff that they were facing. And so we were like, and yet they had this heart to serve other people, but they themselves were struggling. And we were like, wow, business could be a sustainable modality for change for their lives. And so it wasn't our idea, it was their idea. And we said, okay, what would that look like? And at first they showed us some of the things that they had made and journals and different things, and one of them was this hot red leather bag, which maybe some people are into that. But I looked at it and I was like, oh, I don't know.

(12:05):

I dunno. So at this time was not, the idea was not that we would develop a brand and partner together and bring it to market in the US and beyond. We were just trying to help them realize it in their own. And then we started going, okay, what would this look like? Where would we get the leather? You start actually kind of going down a path. So we started really going down this journey of the supply chain of leather. We wanted to make sure that whatever product that we landed on together for their business was one we were all proud of. And that's when we started realizing that the leather industry in this area was a place of massive exploitation to people. I mean, you couldn't imagine the working conditions and the pay that people were receiving. And so we realized together that in order to get that product that we were proud of, that it was going to push the market value of that product beyond what they were able to sell locally.

(13:07):

And so that was what created this idea that we could partner together. And I was like, well, I think at the beginning it starts as I think I know some people who would buy this in my own. You just think about your own application point. At least that was where my start was. And I was like, I think I know what people are interested in and let's give it a go. So we moved back to the states at the time and I started working with my husband and one of my dearest friends, and she knew graphic design and some things totally just volunteer. We just sat at her kitchen counter and started drawing a brand that we felt like truly embodied who we wanted to be. And that is where we sketched up relatively close to our current design of elevate, lifting people up to a higher position.

(13:59):

And so that is, we created the logo, the theme, the motto, of course it's grown and kind of gotten different over the years, but we still are elevate to this day. And so we said, okay. And so I started drawing some products on a line sheet of paper and going and then working with our local partner. And I was like, Baruch, could you make this? And he's like, yes, of course. And at the time we're like, can they really make this? And not doubting, but you just kind of wonder because I had seen a lot of the compassion based businesses producing products that I would maybe buy once I felt bad, but I probably wouldn't necessarily buy again, if that makes sense. So I was like, no, we got to make a product that reflects who these people are, quality, amazing showstopping products that could really be a sustainable business for them. And so I drip this our very first wallet, the trifold leather wallet, and it kind of has a cool angle in it. And originally I'd wanted to put Emboss Hena type designs on it, but that didn't really work. So it was just kind of going through that product development process. And it is still one of our bestselling products to this day. And I handed it to Faruk and he, I'm not kidding you, girl. He nailed it. It

Shanna (15:25):

Was That's amazing.

Jessica (15:26):

Stunning. And I was like, they have something here and I want to be a part of it.

Shanna (15:31):

I am literally on your website as we talk. I'm obsessed with utility bag, the commuter backpack. Such gorgeous, just gorgeous. The cross body. I'm going to have to go shopping after this. It's beautiful. And the leather is so beautiful. But Jess, how did you know how to design? I mean, did you just self, is it all just self-taught? And then how did you get the startup money to buy the goods and pay the people? And I mean you're going into business. Did you feel like, I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm just trusting the Lord on this?

Jessica (16:10):

Yeah, totally trusting. And also I love starting things, which is why I've started now a different organization. I really do love the instigation of things. It was a thrill. There were seasons where it was hard, but honestly the beginning, I just have such endearing memories at the beginning. We worked all day, we worked a lot of the night, you know how it is. And it wasn't like a drudgery. It was purely fun. We loved it and we wanted this business to shine light in this area, and we wanted it to generate profit, hopefully to grow itself, but then do something beyond itself. I'm just no background, nothing. And Faruk helped me a ton. He was the master artisan. He's still our master artisan. We go and work with him on new bag developments. I say, Farouk, can we do this? He says, no. I say, let's try it. And he's like,

(17:01):

It's seriously a fun family. We are not a mass factory. They are a small scale workshop and they control their production so that they can take care of people and really create a healthy environment for people to come and work and make your bags. And so yes, I love designing around solving people's problems. I knew we needed to have a unique, so many things that I have learned later that are good business practices. It was just kind of happening in front of me. I was like, well, how would this stand out in the market? I didn't know a ton about ethical business or social enterprise. I didn't know that was a thing. I was truly unaware at this time. And we'd started reaching out to some people in our state, but not a ton that were doing this, but one that some of our friends who owned and started Pacha soap company that works closely with Whole Foods Market, and that was out of Nebraska.

(17:56):

We just became friends and we're like, what do we do? Mainly not even as much practically as much, how do you sustain this? This is hard developing community around that learning a lot. How do we price these bags in a way that's sustainable? All of the things. So anyway, no, all of this just started unfolding before our eyes. But I loved designing. I loved developing products that were going to have elements to them that surprised people. And I would say that's still what you're going to find. A utility bag. There's loads of pockets in it. There's a hidden phone pocket on the front, or you can put your passport in it. There's a zipper one on the back, it becomes a backpack, it slides on your luggage. It's like, I was like, we're just doing all the things and without feeling too clunky. So I just loved designing bags that were kind of like, people were like, this bag is solving my problems.

(18:51):

And I'm like, yes, I wanted to design real bags for real life. And anyway, so that was a ton of fun for me. I loved seeing people's eyes light up when they realized it could become a backpack which later became trending, which is great. And it's going like these multi wear, sleek things. So I loved serving people through design and development, but as far as the other elements of the start and resources, it was a total nonprofit startup. And Elevate is still a registered nonprofit. Got it. Everything that is made from Elevate furthers the mission. And so I've actually never, I don't get profit or whatever you call it, I don't get ownership of Elevate. And we did that from the beginning to just kind of ensure our mission stayed in front of us and all of that. But I don't know if that's how we'll stay forever, but that's how we are right now. And it's been really great for us. And with that kind of technical registration as a nonprofit, because at the time our heart was we want to help more people start small businesses. So it was purely that nonprofit mentality. We met with friends and family and said, would you donate to like a Kickstarter before Kickstarter was a thing?

(20:09):

And that happened. People loved the vision. They were like, this is incredible. I'll never forget a conversation we had with a family that had built and sold their company and they were interested in being a part of what God was doing around them. And we had a meal together and they said, what's your dream order of these products? And we showed them our purchase order that we wanted to purchase that we couldn't afford. And he said, double it and I'll pay for it. And we were like, what people do that? It was just so cool to see every step kind of happened before us, and then we got our first launch going and we're still launching to today. So yeah, it's been a ton of fun

Shanna (20:57):

Eight years later. Jess, tell me about the growth of the company. Did it get traction quickly in the market? And also were you scared at the price point it is now. Is that where it started? Was that intimidating? Yeah, I think I'm just so interested of the growth and how you got the word out and did you see traction right away?

Jessica (21:21):

I would say when we got the product in front of real people, we saw traction. Now I think where we struggled was how do we scale that? So for the first few years, we were getting these products in front of people at Pop-up events. So because they were

Shanna (21:39):

Mostly in the us,

Jessica (21:40):

Yes. Okay, got

Shanna (21:42):

It.

Jessica (21:42):

And we developed a webpage for people to place their orders. But a lot of the time, in order to create that first experience, we were doing popups because we were a nonprofit and we just didn't and continue to be, I would say shorter on just the cash available to us to do. We can't compete in the same way that other people can for the market, especially online now. But at the time, we were just popping up because for us, it was about conversations. It was about people. We wanted people to touch the bags, feel the bags. It's kind of hard when you're like, oh, true leather lovers. They like,

Shanna (22:16):

Yes,

Jessica (22:17):

Want to feel the bag. They want to smell the bag. And all the things that found it difficult to create and still in some ways are always trying to break through barriers of creating that meaningful personal online experience. I think everyone is, I mean, it's kind of a challenge in a lot of ways. So we did popups all over the place. I mean, we met thousands of people and by doing that, we captured thousands of real people's information because they were just really purchasing for the bags because they really liked them. So that was how we kind of built a customer base. And then for a season there, we had just a small team. So four of us were full-time kind of behind the building season, and we were just in that pre covid reality. And

Shanna (23:05):

You were back in the States now, is that correct?

Jessica (23:07):

Yeah, exactly. We're back in the States and we're working with them through Zoom and through WhatsApp and communicating back and forth. We really found that our part in helping advance their mission was doing this for a season and really growing and unlocking this. Now fast forward, we've scaled, not necessarily just elevate, but we focused our energy and effort on scaling the idea. So that's when we started our small business development program. So we kind of directing more of our energy toward doing the same thing we did for them for many other people instead of just directing our focus on building Elevate. And so we do have a team stewarding, elevate and really want to see its growth. But yeah, I would say when we brought it to the market, people loved the product, they loved the story, and they loved us and our hearts to make a difference with God in the world.

(24:02):

And so it was like, man, how do we grow that? We started doing what's super common is just the ad world. We're like, well, how do we put this out there in the form of an ad? We felt like, and I would say our team would probably agree with me, we just felt like we lost some of that personal touch interaction feel in that space. And that's an area we're still always trying to unlock is really resonating with people for just the truth of who we are and what we exist to do in the online world. But at the time, we had some ads that were really getting traction with one of our bags that became a backpack as well. So we called it our Slingback and it was getting traction. We were excited. And then so we're continuing to go to all these popups.

(24:52):

We're building a list of people, we're trying to expand that audience online as well as in shows and pop-up events. And that was just really how we got our traction. We didn't have, I wouldn't say we had a big break. We didn't have one ad pop off that made us put us on a map. You still haven't necessarily had that. I think in, I don't know. You've talked to so many people. That's probably some people's story. It just hasn't been ours. It's actually been slow paced growth. And then we hit that covid season where actually things went really well for us. We were doing more sales, but then the whole reality of price increase came because we realized under some guidance of just people who knew business better, we realized our margins weren't sustainable.

(25:45):

And we're like, oh no, we want to bring these products. We want everyone to be able to have access to these products, but they are just really high quality and we're paying for the quality of the leather, the liner, the treatment of the people on the production side. And so we're like, man, there's a lot of costs that typically are not accounted for in the fashion industry, and that makes it really hard to compete unless you're in the designer category, which we weren't interested in. And so that was a hard thing for us, and we had to price hike and that we saw some impact there and recalibration in that season too.

Shanna (26:22):

Yeah. Okay. Jess, I feel like so much of what you've done, I'm so curious if you'd be willing to answer just what went well, but also you were talking about the bumps in the road. How did you learn or who was on your side when it came to the business side? I see so many entrepreneurs, and we were talking about before we hit record, I'm so blessed and grateful. I get to hear amazing stories of people with passions and curiosity and courage to go start a business, but understanding, like you said, the margins, I mean, that's not something most people talk about. How did you learn the harder pieces of the business side?

Jessica (27:06):

Yeah, my husband and I brought different strengths to the table. He was the one super curious about pricing numbers, reading every trite business book under the sun that we could find and access. We really wanted this to work for that team in India and for our customers here. And so he brought a lot of that to the table. And like I said before, we had gotten to know some friends that had also stepped into the social enterprise space. And so they started helping us and he had received a lot of really high quality business mentorship through their success. They were able to just like, wow, get some really great insight. And so he would even do kind of the profit first mentality with us and helping us to re-look at maybe the bags that are creating the most amount of profit are not the bags they're selling the most of.

(28:05):

So we would do extras like that, and that was very true for us. And we're like, oh, what do we do with that? And so that was just people like that in our corner. And then Brandon bringing a lot of those strengths to bear in the practical day-to-Day outworking. And those were some of our contexts. And then we had people helping us more like, how do you sustain this? How do you build a team? How do you lead? I didn't realize how much that was going to be more a part of my side, not just product development, but how do you lead people and build a team? And so that became my area of strength and his became more finances profit. And to be honest, I would say it's an area that we should have gotten help a lot sooner. We were so driven on, I don't think we realized how much that was a part of the difference making and the lives of people we wanted to serve overseas. And it was critical to that. And I think we waited too long to get some of the help we needed,

Shanna (29:09):

Jess. So thank you for sharing that. Clearly. I love the business side. It is my background, but it's because I get to see the power in understanding just these kind of basic numbers in your business, which aren't easy to understand. I mean, it's not natural for most people to be like, okay, which product is most profitable versus most popular, but just kind of empowering. That's what I feel like I'm the big cheerleader on the sidelines saying, I want to empower you to do your, and that's what I feel like understanding these numbers and principles and the things that you guys, it sounds like have had an incredible team come alongside you and just help you learn. I would love for you, Jess, to talk about the growth over the last few years and what's shifted, what's changed, and I know you're kind of pivoting into something new now. So just kind of talk through the last few years how Elevate has changed where it's going in the future, and then how you all have changed.

Jessica (30:12):

Yeah, that's a great question. We're kind of in a season of discerning that really for Elevate, which has been really good and producing a lot of trust in us. And so yeah, right before Covid and during Covid, we experienced some really significant exciting growth and we just wanted to keep riding that momentum. Well, right in that post Covid reality, we were like, oh, now everyone's online. And it started creating that online space that we were experiencing a lot of traction from. It started getting extremely competitive and competitive in ways that we were finding it hard to afford to keep the momentum in the growth trajectory that we were on. And so in these post covid years, I think it's been more of a, we're not in this sharp incline anymore. We're kind of in recalibrating. We were doing a brand refresh and really revisiting, Hey, who is our target and who are we here to serve best?

(31:13):

And how do we make ourselves more available to them in a way that feels really true to who we are and where we're going as a company, what we're about and the treatment of people and the difference making that people we're inviting people into through these bags. So yeah, we're really discerning where we go from here. We love some of the new features that are out, but find them and in all of the many services that are available to us to hire out and to be honest, it's just like, oh, how do you know who are the good ones? And I know that's maybe sounds a little harsh, but it just feels like some of the companies that we've tried to entrust and bring into our story to help advise us in specific areas, whether it be ads or email or whatever, just to make sure that we can be effective in those spaces.

(32:06):

It's felt like they're getting uploaded for a few months and then they never quite deliver in some of those. And that hasn't been everybody, but I would say that's actually been more common than it's not, which takes a lot of resources to beta test all of these folks, see who's legit, who's going to come in and really serve your brand well and your customers well. So yeah, we're in a season of, I think, which is exciting for us. It's a trust season too, but hitting the refresh button and going, okay, we know who we are, we know where we're going, and we want to continue designing and developing bags that are going to last people lifetime as we just enter this world of the West. And certainly America, we're just really consumer driven and the degree of consumption is really insane and don't necessarily think sustainable.

(32:59):

And so we think we love serving people with long lasting quality products that they can have for years. Also a challenge to provide that type of a product because people don't necessarily need it every month, right? So I would say we're in a season of navigating challenges and breaking through ceilings is what we call it, and trusting God that he's going to reveal to us the ceilings and how to break through at times. You're like, oh, it's frustrating. I know these products just rising quality and when they have an experience with Elevate, it's a really positive one. It's just being able to get to have that conversation maybe in that digital space more effectively day by day. So we're really fine tuning some of those areas right now of how we're bringing our product to market and to unlock 'em in fresh ways in this post covid season. So

Shanna (33:52):

Yeah. Jess, I think that's so insightful. I just want to encourage you, hopefully this will be encouraging, but I love that I get to see so many different types of businesses and I will say this is being commonly echoed concern or struggle or something where new obstacle and the post covid online space, just being heard and being seen is so much harder. And I am interested to see how you all navigate that. We navigate that as a company. All of us are navigating, and I'm kind of wondering, I don't know prediction city, but if it's going to go back to, okay, the pop-ups and the in-person, and I'm interested of how things shake out because I think so many businesses, it just got a lot louder. And not that that's bad, but it just makes us have to get nimble and like you said, we are navigating something brand new.

(34:55):

Exactly. Okay. I want to switch gears just this is totally off script, but I do want to talk about balance and finding harmony in your work. I know when you said in the beginning it was just, you're so excited, you'll work 80 hours a week, there's a passion and a energy, and then it's like, okay, I got to make this sustainable too. But for you all, it's a husband and wife, you're working together. So I would love if you would talk to, and then we'll kind of talk about finding harmony in your home, but how has it been running a business, starting a nonprofit, figuring out these ebbs and flows alongside your spouse?

Jessica (35:33):

Yeah, hard and really lovely. We to travel together. We travel about a third of the year together. There's a lot of togetherness. The challenge with that I think for us has been that when do we switch gears? When do we, so we implemented some kind of just intentional things in our life, and this wasn't all, it'll make us sound really put together. It happened over stumbling through a few years of this. But yeah, it was like, Hey, weekly we want to connect really intentionally about us. And it's not, we're big integrated life people. So a lot of people are about life balance. We're about life integration. So we found ourselves creating, elevate was becoming the, it's like, no, I don't want to talk about Elevate. And we're like, why? So we didn't feel like that mentality served us super well. It was making the very thing that we loved and that was helping a lot of people around the world, the enemy.

(36:27):

But we did create some intentional space of just going, Hey, let's redirect. How are we doing? And what are we excited about with our families, with our friends, with what's God doing in someone else's life that we can go encourage or be a part of, or that we could go visit them for the evening having more. And I know that sounds really basic, but for a founder, you are living in the sea of this new reality you've created. And so sometimes having dinner with friends or having people over going to see your niece or nephew's baseball game or basketball game for us and volleyball was a big part of experiencing that is just thinking about others. What are other people going through? And then each other connecting with each other and where are you at? Where's your head at? So that once a week, and those were big little rhythms that we started.

(37:21):

Also, we went through a season of navigating team health and how do you lead? Well, no one gave me a manual on leadership. I struggled with that thing, girl. I just remember thinking, is this a place I would want to work? And all that self-doubt comes in and you just realize where you fall short. And yet there was just people who stuck with us and loved us through seasons of navigating that. And so finding the people in your life that are safe, not everybody, and then having a spaces where we could be real. And so Brandon and I have always been the safest place in the world to each other and challenging. However, we're for each other, knowing how to hear what each other is saying and not what we're not saying. Just simple things like that were so critical for us, loving to be together and loving to serve God together and work and elevate together. So anything from basic human things to finding our tribe is what some people, I think call it safe place that you can be real and be honest about what's going on and where you're struggling to experience some of that breakthrough.

Shanna (38:39):

I have a hard question. You might not want to answer it. And you can say, Shanna, this is a no-go. But as my husband and I work together too, our company provides the finances to pay our bills and our mortgage and send our little baby to school. What a blessing. And also there's a pressure. There can be a pressure that the business has to perform. And for you all, it's even bigger. I mean, we have a small team, but the pressure of providing for your team as well, how have you all navigated in seasons, the natural seasons of the business is doing great, money's there, or hey, this is a tight season. Just managing, I would say the stress of that as a couple and knowing that this company, I know it's a nonprofit, but it's assuming how you pay your bills. So just navigating just the ebbs and flows of the financial side of the business.

Jessica (39:42):

Our team is all supported through Elevate. And I would say that pressure is real. I think that it's been, it's not a blind trust thing, but it is going, are we taking the steps necessary to position ourselves to be able to take care of our people when things are good and when they're not good? Brandon's always been really disciplined about making sure that we, we don't take every opportunity we could. We don't spend every dollar that we could because it was really important to us that we could sustain the ebbs and flows of the seasons. Covid brought us into a very keen awareness of that. I think we all remember right before, like what in the world is going to happen to us? And I think to be honest, having that bigger picture in mind that, okay, what's the worst thing that could happen? So going through, we went through an exercise like that, okay, what's the worst thing that could happen?

(40:41):

And can we trust God with that and do we believe that he's got us? And then from that kind of angle to the practical angle of, okay, where's our savings and how is it going to position us to be able to take care of our people for a long time to be able to recalibrate in a hard season. So having some of those measures in place created a lot of peace. Also, I think we had to revisit, I think anyone does, I'm sure when they're starting a business is what were our motivations for us in it and our motivations. We had to stay true to them. We felt like God called us to this to make a difference in the lives of others, not to just have a better and more and more standard of living for ourselves. And so not that that would be wrong if that was what people were hoping for in a business, it was just not what God had called us to. And so we stayed true to that. So we all are, I would say, on the lower side of some of that in the sense of the financial spectrum from where we could be in order to position the company to be sustained through the hard seat. Right. Yeah.

Shanna (41:52):

That's so good. Okay, because I'm a finance person, I have to ask two things and then let's go into quickfire. So I always like to ask people, so curious of what your answer's going to be, what would you say is the best thing that you have learned about money?

Jessica (42:07):

Probably the profit first mentality and the 80 20 principle that our friend Andrew helped guide us through that makes sure that your most profitable products are representing your majority of your sales. I mean, simply. And that for us just wasn't true for a long time. And we were like, wow, that was really insightful. He's like, do whatever you can to get those products to the top of your sales and then be all about that, and literally cut out everything else. It was like this intensity of think of everything else as a distraction. And we were like, wow, that's interesting. That challenged us.

Shanna (42:52):

Yeah, that's so good. That's so interesting. I need to meet your friend. That's something I teach all of my clients and all my students. The 80 20 rule is the Parato principal, of course, I'm sure I'm botching this person's name who founded it. But it's the idea that 80% of our efforts generate, 20% of our efforts, generate 80% of our results. And so looking at where is the best use of your time and energy, and for you all the most profitable products and making those are probably paying for all the other ones. And so it's just a really great way, especially if you're short on time, short on finances, to push your energy into the things that are most effective, which I honestly think is even more powerful right now when there's so many good things we could be doing. We could be doing ads, we could be doing email list, we could be doing popups. It's like where do we start? And so looking at what is the actual most effective place for our time? So I love, thank you so much for sharing that. And before we jump into quickfire, I want to hear, I know you are pivoting a little bit to something new. I would love to hear kind of, I know this is a quickfire question, what you're working on now, but tell us about this new venture.

Jessica (44:04):

Yeah, so again, we wanted to scale the idea, not just the company. So with that, we developed a small business development program and we turned into a curriculum and then into a process for people around the world to implement, to help communities, people experiencing significant trauma, poverty, you name it. We wanted to be a part of their story. And so that was where we wanted our life impact to be. And a mentor once told us, you think long and hard about what you want your life to be about, and then you just go commit everything to it. And so for me, this has been it. I want to help people on the front lines of some of the hardest to reach places in the world, experience sustainability and breakthrough for their families. That's what I'm made to do. And I want to take the love of God and to all of those places and where people would be like, you're insane.

(45:00):

What are you thinking? And I want to do it in a way that's sustainable, empowering, and unleashes the potential inside of every person. And I think that business is a key part of that. And so our small business development program is now, we've started a mission organization and Activate Global, and I'm now the executive director of that. And I've stepped out of Elevate a bit in order to let a new team emerge. We have new teammates who are better than me and more creative than me. And again, I'm a starter. And so I was like, man, I think it's my season. And so, yep, taking a step. We still office together. I see everyone every day. It's not

(45:39):

Like I'm gone. I love hearing what's going on and weighing in. And so not in a weird hovering way, but in a excited for them all way about getting to be a part of the future of Elevate as well, but a little bit more from the backseat and as a cheerleader, as a co-founder rather than in the inner working of all of it. And so that's been a new shift for me and getting to be a part of helping Kickstart. We've been able to help start several hundred businesses overseas through this program so far, and we're looking to see that grow exponentially. So really excited about it.

Shanna (46:12):

Love it. That's so exciting. Jess, this has been so wonderful. Thank you for the work you're doing in the world and the beautiful product that you're getting out and helping these communities create. It's just been such a joy to hear your story, which so many other people's stories really, like you said, you're just here to push forward the stories that are already happening. And I love that so much. I feel like I could just keep chatting with you, but let's go into a quick fire round and we'll wrap it up. Okay. So what is one thing you would be embarrassed if people knew?

Jessica (46:47):

Okay. Probably that I once flooded an Indian wedding by not knowing how to properly use my washing machine. It was tragic. I felt horrible and brought a lot of shame on myself, so

Shanna (47:01):

Very tough. That's a big deal. Indian weddings are right.

Jessica (47:05):

It was so bad.

Shanna (47:07):

I'm sure you figured out very quickly how to figure out your washing machine.

Jessica (47:12):

The terrible part is that I did it another time, but it wasn't on a wedding that time. It was just like water was pouring out my balcony all night long and waking up all my neighbors. It was, oh my

Shanna (47:22):

Goodness,

Jessica (47:24):

For the second time. How terrible,

Shanna (47:27):

By the way, how long after you all, how long were you in India full time before coming back to the States?

Jessica (47:35):

Yeah, just under a year before coming back to Kickstart our side of it on this side. Yeah. Got it. We plan to be there forever. We go back now to see everybody like twice a year. So we're back and forth, but live here in Nebraska. Yeah. Got

Shanna (47:51):

It. Okay. Any regrets or wish you could do over moments?

Jessica (47:55):

I think learning team, I thought literally that I had to know everything. I thought I had to be everything. I know it sounds ridiculous now, but it's just true. I just thought I had to be everything for everyone, know everything. And so that created distance between me getting the help I needed of experts in key areas, which I think would've helped us get breakthrough sooner. So yeah, unfortunately, I think I was looking too inward a lot of the time and didn't see the genius of team and bringing other people to bear on things.

Shanna (48:27):

Oh, that's convicting right to my gut, that one. Okay. A big win or pinch me moment.

Jessica (48:36):

I think one time we went to India and we went out for ice cream, and I know this won't sound like a pinch me, but it really, really was. And up until this time, this family that we've helped with the leather company we're struggling so much and we needed to help in a lot of ways. But one time we met up with them and we went out for ice cream. And Lman, our teammate who manages and stewards that business, he went and paid the bill and he was so proud to be able to pay the bill. Since then, they've obviously serve a whole ton of communities around them with the resources they make from it. And when we go, they take care of us. So seeing the mutuality and the true empowerment in people, it makes me cry every time. It's undoubtedly why I'm here. I love it a ton. And it was unreal that we had helped them get to that place.

Shanna (49:38):

Oh, I love that. I can see how that's just to see that what you've been working on and the mission come to life. That's how I feel when I see my business owners paying themselves or just things that are truly signs of like, okay, yeah, we're doing this. Love it. Okay. Best advice or just really good advice that you have received?

Jessica (50:02):

Yeah, I mean for us, a pastor told us early on, he said burnout is from not being connected to the source of power. And man, that's probably, it was my go-to best advice thing is when I'm feeling like I just can't, I realize that I can't. And I know that sounds maybe cheesy, I don't know. But for me, it's been a deep resonating truth that has carried me through hard. So connected to God, connected to my power source, and just letting his power fuel my life and my serving and not trying to serve out of the strength that I supply is been the most life-changing thing that anyone's ever told me.

Shanna (50:42):

Yeah, I love that so much. And I know not everyone listening shares our same faith, but I loved how you talked about earlier part of everything that we do. I mean, getting up in the morning is about trust. I mean, I'm a control freak at heart, so I don't really love to trust, but just for me, that's what I'm always learning from the Lord is about trusting, trusting the next step, trusting the mission, trusting the season, trusting the timing, and then also the practical. I love how you kind of brought both of those in, and I feel I resonate so much with that as well. So much we can't control, but we have the ability to work towards the things we can, and that's really my mission. What I do is empowering the things that we can control, marketing, looking at what's working, understanding our numbers, and then just as someone who shares that very similar faith, I think as you trusting the rest.

Jessica (51:36):

Yep, absolutely.

Shanna (51:37):

I love that. Okay. I know I already asked you this, so if you don't have anything x-Ray you want to share, that's fine, but what are you working on now or one resource you would like to share?

Jessica (51:45):

Ooh, yeah, I mean, that's what I'm working on. I'm working on a transition, working on being a cheerleader for Elevate. I love Elevate. I think it is the best thing ever. So assuming a role as a cheerleader is new for me, and I'm like, I don't think that's a passive thing. I think it's an active part of my life and my role, and yet I'm usually the person who's right in there with everybody. And so getting to Cheerlead and be a champion for this team without being operational is new for me. I love knowing all the details. I like knowing what's going on and how are we thinking about this, and I get in too far sometimes. And so yeah, that's new for me. And really discovering that and how to play that role well is really fun for me right now, but a challenge in a new way, so I'm excited for

Shanna (52:36):

It. Yeah, I love it. Okay, Jess, let's send it off with what would you tell yourself on day one, going back to 2015 when this was just an idea in the making, what would you tell yourself?

Jessica (52:47):

Yeah, serve people. And I know it maybe sounds like it's been a consistent theme in my life, but there were seasons that this became more about a lot of other things, and I would just be like, man, this is all about the people. The people you're around right in front of you. The customers that you have the opportunity to serve and connect to meaningful products and our people overseas. It's all about the people. And so often in life, I think that we can forget what's right in front of us trying to chase the next goal, the next benchmark, and I'm a diehard striver. I'm all about goals, and we have goals. We work our goals, but I think in doing that, sometimes I forgot that this is about the day and the people are right in front of you. What if That was the very point, and that definitely, if I could hold myself in the face and say that to myself on day one, I think it could have looked a little different a little sooner. And so, yeah, day one advice,

Shanna (53:49):

Just telling yourself it's all about the people.

Jessica (53:51):

Totally. Yep. Yeah.

Shanna (53:52):

Yeah. I love that. Oh, what a wonderful time this has been. I'm so glad Lauren was like, we have to get Jess on the podcast. Thank you for sharing your story and the work that you're doing in the world and your mission, and I know it's not just you. It's a team and empowering others to live out their stories and their mission. So it's been a joy to spend time with you. Thank you for coming on the show.

Jessica (54:15):

Well, thank you everybody for listening, and Shanna for you and all that you do. This is really fun to be with you and to get to connect today.

Shanna (54:22):

Hey, wildflower, you just finished another episode of Consider the Wildflowers, the podcast. Head over to consider the wildflowers podcast.com for show notes, resource links, and to learn how you can connect with Jessica. A little sunshine from our wildflower of the week, Bonnie, a breath of fresh air. Many times you hear build a business and you can have freedom of your schedule, make money and be your own boss. All of that is easier said than done. Shannon has such a unique perspective that makes that type of life a reality. However, she is adamant about making life what you want it to be and not what everyone says it should be. And with a profitable business, her knowledge and finance is mind blowing. So glad she started this podcast. Thank you, Bonnie, and thank you for all of your reviews and support. They mean the world. One final thought for today from Norman Peele. The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for. As always, thank you for listening. I'll see you next time. I.