JAVA WITH JEAN
Introduction
By Jean Criss. February 20, 2024. It has been a while since producing heartful conversations on Java with Jean, a video blog with industry experts, delving into stories ranging from culinary to media, addressing client business challenges, successes, and future plans. Due to recent focus launching my own brands, certain projects were put on hold, including this one. Today, I am reintroducing Java with Jean in a new format—a written blog series featuring storytelling articles about entrepreneurship.
These narrative articles will revolve around my experiences managing startups, lessons learned, best practices, obstacles, challenges, risks, and rewards. The focus will be on the day-to-day operational decisions we face, conundrums, pain points and key strategic decisions we make as leaders. I’d like to discuss how to navigate situations as you experience or expand your small business as solopreneurs, invested to succeed, albeit all the nuances.
Balancing multiple responsibilities as a founder, especially when passionate about numerous things, is no easy feat. When I started my entrepreneurial journey over a decade ago, I eagerly pursued innovating ideas and designing products that I never contemplated engaging in before. I had many questions about how to get started, where to turn for resources, help and support. How to create, innovate, design, produce and manufacture, and the list went on and on. Somehow, I figured it out and put my metal to the pedal with my tech and media expertise, and navigated my way through each task.
Now, it's time I share my inner thoughts from key strategic decision making to SMART partnering, and more. As Founders, we are responsible to know a lot about many things. While we are not expected to be the experts at everything or all operations, it behooves us to think, it is not overwhelming at times, between emerging technology changes in the marketplace, competitive landscapes, and economic market shifts, it becomes more of a balancing art. Balancing right from wrong – or the good from the bad, weeding out what doesn’t seem right, and pushing forward with what does. No one teaches you how to go about it, really, so as we start over as a start-up, we ask ourselves, is this what I signed up for? Is this the new career I so richly desired? How am I going to make it? How will I measure success? We are constantly on the GO, making moves, or pivoting to address market shifts. What I did learn over time was to keep things in perspective, to take one day at a time while I maneuver my way through industry networking at the highest levels, even with business bureaucracy and all the nonsense we encounter.
One may think running your own business is easy-Peezy but, there is so much more to know than just the face-value of the company name or brand. Java with Jean’s narrative will share vulnerable stories about me as Founder and CEO of multiple e-commerce businesses in media, tech, and fashion. I’ve just learned so much over the years, I know it might be helpful to some newcomers, and I’d love some feedback as well. In fact, you might even take away a few tips and laughs from my blog posts.
I welcome you to join in our conversation, listening and sharing “your” customer stories and experiences. Stay tuned for an engaging series featuring a deep dive into various entrepreneurial discussion topics. These articles will be published on LinkedIn and on other social media platforms. Don't miss out on this exciting NEW blog series, Java with Jean, and grab your cup of Joe while we chat!
Java with Jean – a blog series featuring storytelling articles on Entrepreneurship by award-winning author, writer, innovator, and mediapreneur, Jean Criss. Jean is Founder and CEO of multiple e-commerce companies, has published 5 books sold on Amazon, and is passionate about sharing stories from the heart. Jean utilizes her depth and breadth of digital media knowledge throughout her creativity and innovation as a global leader in tech, media, and fashion. Contact Jean Criss at info@jeancrissmedia.com | JeanCrissMedia.com
