008 - Oklahoma to Texas, a Journey From Sales to CEO

Business Decoded

This episode features Jessica Bartnick, a successful entrepreneur and community leader, as she shares her journey from knocking on doors to running her own business and nonprofit.

Your host Ronnie Spellman has more than two decades of leadership experience ranging from established Fortune 500 companies to private equity owned growth based businesses, Ronnie brings a unique comprehensive approach to building efficient, sustainable, and scalable operations. Additionally, he has served the community as a volunteer on many nonprofit boards and universities advisory boards. His exciting and rich history of experience coupled with his energy and positive outlook on business brings to life these conversations with other leading business executives.

Summary

* **Early Career & Building Resilience (00:00:17:28 - 00:05:52:02)**

* Jessica discusses her early career in sales, her move to Dallas, and how her experiences in middle school and college soccer built her resilience and confidence.

* **Entrepreneurship & The Grind (00:05:52:02 - 00:08:22:16)**

* She describes her experience running a coffee shop while working a full-time job, highlighting the challenges and rewards of entrepreneurship.

* **The Birth of a Business Idea (00:08:22:17 - 00:12:05:09)**

* Jessica shares how her idea for a new business came to her while getting her lashes done, and how she overcame initial doubts and regulations to bring it to life.

* **The Importance of Passion & Drive (00:12:05:09 - 00:13:40:17)**

* She emphasizes the importance of passion, drive, and a supportive network in turning an idea into a successful business.

* **Scaling a Business & Giving Back (00:13:40:20 - 00:16:38:12)**

* Jessica reveals her ambitious plans to franchise her new business and shares her passion for investing and giving back to the community.

* **Nonprofit Work & Empowering Youth (00:16:38:12 - 00:20:09:03)**

* She discusses her work with a youth mentoring program and how she has seen the organization transform the lives of countless students.

* **Overcoming Setbacks & Finding Recession-Proof Industries (00:20:09:03 - 00:34:02:16)**

* Jessica addresses the challenges of running a business during the pandemic and emphasizes the importance of finding a recession-proof industry.

* **Building a Culture of Motivation (00:34:02:18 - 00:34:45:06)**

* She shares her philosophy on motivating employees by investing in them, fostering a culture of collaboration, and empowering them with knowledge.

* **Creating a Shared Future (00:34:45:06 - 00:35:25:25)**

* Jessica emphasizes the importance of shared ownership and the benefits of creating a system where employees have a stake in the company's success.