Member Spotlight: Jennifer Ammons of The Big Fake Wedding
Hey ladies! Welcome to another Member Spotlight, featuring our members — influencers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and girl bosses alike!
Next up: Jennifer Ammons, CEO of The Big Fake Wedding. The Big Fake Wedding is the most uniquely curated and far-reaching bridal show in the nation. If you are a bride-to-be, you need to check them out! Parents-to-be we also recommend you check out The Big Fake Wedding’s newest venture: Swaddle + Swoon.
Read on to learn about how Jennifer got started and how she transitioned to CEO!
Q: Tell us a little bit about you, girl!
A: Gosh, where do I start? Born and bread in South Carolina, studied Architecture at Clemson where I met my wonderful husband, Brian. But...we didn't date until well after college. We both had some living to do, including my time living in London opening retail stores for an American brand. Since our whirlwind marriage in 2015, we have been on a lot of adventures like living in Tokyo for 2 years! (I love sushi!) We have 2 boys, two and one and 1 little girl on the way in February! Life is busy!
Q: How do you stay motivated through challenging times in your career?
A: Any business owner knows that it's not always fun being in charge. Some of the most challenging times throughout my career (both as an employee and a business owner) have been when a team is looking to me to make something right and I truly don't know if I have the right answer. As a leader, we are looked at to be wise, consistent and unwavering. But the truth is, I'm learning right beside everyone. And so the way I stay motivated during these times, is to continue to surround myself with positive leaders who have experienced the same thing. Every situation is different, but concentrating on the fundamentals of good leadership and how you make people feel valued is always the cornerstone that keeps me motivated to continue doing good work.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
A: The first thing that comes to mind is career advice. Someone once told me to look to my childhood to find what I'm innately good at and that will lead me to a fulfilling and successful career. When I was little, my dad built us a club house. I remember making everyone in the neighborhood sign up and pay $5 tor activity fees along with signing a waiver to jump on our trampoline. I organized the event calendar and was very "bossy". Today, I find I thrive in organizing efforts, driving strategy and making processes better while also having the freedom to be creative. And I love it!
Q: What advice do you have for women wanting to start their own business/achieving their career goals?
A: It's not going to be easy, it's not going to come quickly and your friends will never fully understand. When we chose to step outside the norm and create something, we also subject ourself to being a little bit alone in our endeavor. My advice is to find your tribe of like minded women. I'm not saying get rid of your friends but you may need to find some more to supplement that piece of your life and to encourage you in all the nitty gritty business owner worries and challenges that your college friends truly won't get.
Q: What’s the most rewarding—and most challenging—part of your work?
A: Managing and growing a team is both. I hate when they are discouraged and I love to see them thrive. I would be nothing without my amazing team and truly, they are the ones making The Big Fake Wedding successful, I just get the honor to guide and support them and help them navigate personal and business growth.
Q: Tell us about your experience transitioning into a CEO role.
A: It honestly, couldn't have gone better. Luckily I joined the team as a part time member about 5 months before buying The Big Fake Wedding. I was able to get to know the team without the "boss" title but also felt really supported as a rising leader on the team. I do think any change is hard on a small business and so the transition did not come without tears and a little worry about the future, but with open, constant and clear communication from the very beginning, the team truly rallied around me and encouraged me as I tried to fill some big shoes. (they taught me everything! haha). Personally, the transition to CEO felt very natural. Now, that is not saying I knew everything I was getting myself into, maybe if I did, I would have been scared away. But, I did immediately feel like making decisions, leading strategy and encouraging a team came naturally to me. But every year is different and I continue to add on layers of what a good CEO looks like and how to grow a business. My biggest takeaway- hire people that are smarter than you!
Q: What is your favorite memory you have from The Big Fake Wedding?
A: I have a lot. I could say it is the time (the very first retreat I ran as CEO) where we drew out on a white board our dreams for the next 5 years all while gathered on the floor in my friends living room...and have now seen some of it come to fruition! Or the time we all drove up to the mountains to get some pumpkins and wine. Or the time we all got on the dance floor at an event and had the best time! Or the fall day (before I was CEO) that we all met on a team members porch in Norcross and just talked. But honestly, my favorite moments are the everyday moments in the office. I love seeing the team bond and ask tough questions to each other over lunch, cry, or dance just because, or lead interns, or be creative. I walk away from those days feeling really proud of a culture that is real and that feels like family. These girls are my family. They show up at my house at 5am to watch my kids while I catch a flight to NYC to meet Telemundo and The Food Network. They bring me dinners after I have babies. They text me things like "you are a good mom" randomly. They throw me baby showers and surprise birthday parties. They are the first ones there to help when we need it and I feel very spoiled to have them as team members and friends, but mostly family.
Q: What does team culture mean to you?
A: I kind of touched on this with my favorite memories but we have a word for our team culture. "Grace Filled Assumptions" My hope is to have a team that feels empowered to have a life, grow a family, do things outside of work life and feel completely whole and "balanced". We all have a lot of autonomy and so we want to make sure that autonomy is always filled with the best assumptions from the rest of the team. We give grace when it's needed and have hard conversations when those are needed too and we are always on the same page with each other. For a group of 10 girls, we do a really good job of being open and honest with emotions and encouraging each other at work and in real life.
Q: How do you balance work with motherhood?
A: I know I mentioned the word balance with our team culture, but honestly, I don't believe in balance. I look at it as all the same; work, life, motherhood. I can't separate it and I don't want to try. And so that means sometimes bringing my baby to work so someone can hold him while I take an important call. It means working at home when my boys are sick. It means telling my boys that I'm gong to work. I'm not trying to hide it or sneak off. Raising kids that understand that mama also has ambitions and dreams and wants to add value outside of the home is really important to me, but that doesn't mean they come second. Luckily I have the flexibility to be there for all the moments (big and small) and to also know when it's ok to be gone. Both my husband and I are very busy and driven people and so the only thing that works for us is understanding the seasons and rhythms of busy and rest and planning for it. If you look at balance on a day to day basis, you'll fail, but on a larger scale you can plan for wholeness in both career and motherhood.
THERE YOU HAVE IT, LADIES
A little peek into Jennifer’s journey. Be sure to follow along with Jennifer + The Big Fake Wedding on Instagram. Plus, if you’re in need of some wedding inspiration, you’ve found the perfect community and event! Check out the website here. Be sure to also follow along with Swaddle and Swoon if you are a new or expecting mom.
Who should we spotlight next?! Leave a comment below!
