Meet Jessica Bayer | JJ Brand Owner & Creative

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

Hi Jessica, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
JJ Brand started as a hobby, a way to have a work life balance from my 8-5. As it quickly evolved into a business, I learned that there was too a balance in the work behind this brand. To juggle a full time career, full time side job, and keep up with your family and friends is hard; at the end of the day family comes first. In 2020, JJ brand began in a time that the world was uncertain and down time was found more often than usual. Two years later the world and its resources have begun to open and evolve, and my mindset on work life balance continues to do the same. As I believe to be the most crucial piece to continuous creativity, innovation, and motivation, taking time to honor this balance is the key to avoid burnout. I use JJ Brand to offer my brain the creativity it craves, but I’ve made a decision to remain intentional with my time and create to create as opposed to creating in every free moment I find In this new year, boundaries are a number one goal and I believe my work with JJ brand will benefit greatly as a result. Everyone is granted the same 24 hours in a day; it’s best to know how you plan to spend them to improve the quality of your life and those around you.

What should our readers know about your business?
I grew up pursing the corporate lifestyle, telling my mom that all I wanted was a job that I could wear blazers and a pencil skirt to. I graduated High School with a perfect GPA, studied Supply Chain Management in college and went on to join a Corporate Office at age 22. By 24 I was promoted to a Director of Operations, a career that I had once envisioned as the key to “making it.” All the while, I was on the verge of burnout by an incredibly young age. I was so set on a goal I had at age 18, I forgot that life is about balance. After learning a new art, allowing the right side of my brain to be flexed, I found joy in my career, my relationships, and the new skills I was learning.

I’m most proud of the dynamics I’m able to incorporate both in this business and my full time career. I’m able to take marketing ideas, social media tools, ecommerce knowledge, and customer relation management tactics back to my Operations role. Concurrently, I’m able to implement many areas of my Supply Chain and Operations background back into my business, joining two worlds into one.

Being new to the world of creation, the challenge most prevalent in my two years of business has been the infamous imposter syndrome. There are so many amazing artists that it’s been incredibly difficult to find a niche of my own, to not compare my work against others, and to be content with the abilities of my own hands and mind. As time has passed, I have learned that a balance from this business, the same as my full time career, is best in staying grounded and true to my own work, creations, and passions.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I was 22, I packed up my car with the belongings that fit, and drove 17 hours west to Salt Lake City. My new home! This question has been a reality a dozen times over the last several years, and through another move to southern Utah early last year.

I’m a planner, a list maker, a calendar lover, and someone who gets a high from scheduling and planning. Undoubtedly this shines through when planning weekends with friends and family.

For a friend visiting now, our itinerary would look a little something like this:

– Friday afternoon/ evening: Airport pick up. Dinner at home, grilling and drinks. Hot tub and stories to end the night.
– Saturday morning: Up early with a cup of coffee, packing bags for a hike. Picnic lunch post-hike and off to a greenhouse to find a new plant.
– Saturday afternoon’ evening: Pool time, relaxation, getting ready and going out for an early dinner. Back home to wrap up the night with a movie.
– Sunday morning: Coffee and breakfast out, shopping at local boutiques, and going for a long afternoon drive.
– Sunday afternoon/ evening: Cook dinner together at home, relax into the evening. Airport drop off? Let’s hope not this soon.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The JJ Brand following and community.

From the first steps of JJ until now, my following for JJ Brand has remained consistent, motivating, and encouraging. This group consists of lifelong friends, my husband, my sisters, and an array of other creators that I’ve met along the way. They have inspired new ideas, supported hours of creation, and led me to find a passion for all aspects of this business. I am so honored to have met as many amazing people as I have thus far, and be surrounded by those who back not only the brand, but the person behind it.

Website: https://www.jjbrandllc.com/

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

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

Image Credits
Images by: Photos By Lys Travelfor2Photography Audrey Darke Photography Five Foxs Photography