Jennifer Moss Quotes

Candidly, that was the worst job I've ever had. However, it taught me a lot. Those hard jobs are actually really good for you. They build character and you learn what you can do and what you're not willing to tolerate. It was at that job where I was put in a couple of situations that I could not stomach. Going back to that core value of integrity, I put in my two-weeks' notice. That's when I went to my parents and said, 'Let's give it a go at the greenhouse.'

I was in Portland where I didn’t have a network, but I tried it for a year. Then I called mom and dad and said, ‘Hey, I need to move home. How do you feel about a dog?’”

If something really hard comes in front of me, I ask myself, ‘Will this matter in a year? In five years? In 10 years? And if the answer is no to any of those questions, then I need to make sure I’m not giving it too much energy in that moment,

“I think it was always assumed that you graduate SCAD and move to L.A. or New York or another big city both for work and for the opportunity for community.,

I had to pivot very quickly and start to identify a couple of chains that we could gain to make up for the loss. That's the year I started to really earn my stripes and gain the respect of my coworkers and peers. At the end of the season, I was able to recapture 89% of the sales. It was tough. But that customer had done over a million dollars with us in 2016.

They quickly promoted me to a manager and a trainer, and I worked there for a year to get my feet back under me,”

I tackle hard things. And if it's really hard, I just dig my feet in a little bit deeper so that I'm completely anchored. I'm not afraid to do hard things at all,

That's something I value in a leader — somebody who has heart. They have their heart in it, and they care while still being consistent, strong and business-oriented. That's hugely valuable to me in every single way. And that's how I want to show up at that table and every other table that has an opportunity for growth, anywhere, in any industry, in any room.”

My parents felt that I was the good choice for the helm of the ship. My brother and I looked at it and he agreed. And we agreed that we could make this work and he became chief operations officer. My brother is an awesome partner. Where I'm weak, he's strong, and where he's weak, I'm strong. We're a good complement to each other.

That has been a really hard lesson, though,' she says. 'I had FOMO — fear of missing out. I wanted to be in all places and all things. But that's not the case anymore. I know where I stand as a human. I know what I want to show up for, and I know how much currency I have in the tank to be able to accomplish things.

I'm like, excuse me, what? But I didn't understand the seasonality, that kind of process. That the minute hand has to go all the way around the clock. You can't make a decision at 7 that affects 2. And so I just had to learn to slow down. That was probably the hardest transition."

I went into a supplier’s booth and stood there, ignored, for about 20 minutes, despite having 12 workers in the booth,” she explains. “It was right when the show floor opened, and they weren’t busy. I now call it the khakis and polo club because that’s what every one of those guys were wearing. It’s the traditional footprint of so many in our industry, but I don’t participate. I’m tattooed. I’m young. I’m female. So was like, ‘Okay, here’s a bias.’ So now I'm very sensitive to the gender gap in our industry.”

They said, ‘You always bring me step five and you make me figure out one through four. If you could please include me so that I can be a part of all five steps.’ They were absolutely right. I was giving them directives without the right tools. I've really listened to those moments because if I'm managing one person like that, am I managing all people like that?”

That should not be a badge of honor. We need to define what 'above and beyond' looks like,' Moss said. 'If above and beyond is you working 70 hours a week, and that's what I expect, then let's be explicit about that.

I worked on walking away and taking a couple of hours to come back with a clear head. My brother is very good at this. I really started to practice that. And that huge miss became a huge win. And it's very unusual for me to get angry now. I can still hold people accountable, and we can walk away from a situation after a positive conversation where we all feel that we succeeded in being heard and solved the situation.