Meet Jennie Swenson | Wedding Blogger & Project Management Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jennie Swenson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve always wanted to work for myself, but I got so caught up in climbing the corporate ladder that I never gave much thought to what kind of business I’d start. My idea for my wedding blog, microWED collective, came on a whim, and I started it while I was still engaged in my career in Project Management. A few months later, I was unexpectedly laid off, and so I decided that the time was right to pursue entrepreneurship.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The business that made me an entrepreneur and small business owner is a wedding blog focused on the micro wedding niche. microWED collective started as a result of some coincidental and brief exposure to the wedding industry in 2023, which helped me discover “white space” in an otherwise saturated industry.

Building a business is no joke. But, always up for a challenge, I decided to try my hand at building my first business in an industry where I have zero experience! I saw an opportunity and took it, and I haven’t looked back.

“Hold the vision, not the circumstance.” It can be really easy to get caught up in the minutiae and the micro results as a small business owner. In the beginning, I let the happenings of the week or month influence how I felt about the business’s potential. And with the pressure to replace the income I lost when I got laid off, those ebbs and flows felt extra heavy.

For a while, I thought I would have to give up and go back to work in a more traditional sense. That was really stressful because I knew in my heart of hearts that wasn’t my path. On a bit of a whim, I attended a networking event as a Project Management Consultant and ended up landing my first client, which resulted in a long-term contract in my dream industry.

Now, I get to work in two super fun industries (weddings and residential construction and design) every day, and I feel much more settled to tackle the long game. As a bonus, I have not one but two businesses, which gives me security and the ability to weather the ups and downs inevitable in any business.

Some lessons I’ve learned along the way: Trust your instincts, be willing to take risks, find others on a similar journey to lean on, and do the self-work to strengthen your nervous system so you can remain steady no matter what comes your way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Fort Collins has some fantastic local restaurants, so I would recommend visiting many of them during their visit: Regional, Jax, Japango, Lucille’s, Persimmon, and Bread Fellow.

The downtown area is full of great boutiques and local shops so spending a day shopping would definitely be on the agenda.

Being a bike-friendly town, we’d commute via bike as much as possible!

We’d spend one day up at Lory State Park and Horsetooth Reservior, starting the day with a hike and cooling down with a paddleboard and swim in the reservoir.

Another day would be spent exploring Poudre Canyon and hiking American Lakes. and

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Amity Gleason, of Amity Alexandra, for being my reliable small business owner friend, sounding board, and cheerleader.
My family! My brother, parents, and husband for celebrating my successes and cheering me on when I questioned whether I was on the right path or not!

Website: https://www.microwedcollective.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/microwed_collective

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennie-swenson

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/microwedcollective

Image Credits
Aaron LaVanchy