Jenn Luebkert is a business owner and a mom.
I dreamed of being a businesswoman since I was a little girl. I didn’t play with Barbies or dolls, instead had a cash register and receipt books to sell items to my parents in my pretend store, autographing each sales receipt with a well-practiced signature.
My dad was a major influence in developing my entrepreneurial spirit. Always nurturing my smarts, brainstorming with me on my thoughts on different business ideas. Spending time out on the road with my dad, visiting clients, and listening to him on phone calls, I noticed that being genuine and not “sales-y” was his natural style, and it worked. Connecting with people and really, truly wanting to provide a solution to their problem. This is how I intuitively operate as an entrepreneur. Being genuine is something that people sense, and you build trust and loyalty from that and success follows.
Divorced by my mid-twenties, a single mom with two daughters and two jobs, I still dreamed of being my own boss. In 2003 I made the leap and started my first serious business and never looked back. I still run that business to this day. I am involved in real estate and own a beauty salon that my youngest daughter Talia manages and runs day-to-day for me. From the outside, it all looks wonderful, but my path has been extremely challenging.
My oldest daughter, Brittany, got on the wrong track in her early teens and has been battling addiction since. She is thirty-two years old now and addicted to heroin. Everything I did revolved around her battle and how I could help get her on track. Nothing ever lasted. You find out the hard way that nobody is coming to save you and that no matter what, the world doesn’t stop for your problems. The bills still need to get paid, so you have to dig really deep.
When your child is out there suffering, it consumes you. You question everything you have ever done and find yourself paralyzed in your own goals and dreams. It requires an incredible amount of strength and positivity to push through some days.
It breaks my heart every day, but I stay hopeful. With the emotional support of my amazing family and friends, I do my best to live my life and find joy in it now. Practicing gratitude is key for me, and every morning when my feet hit the ground, I find a list of things to be grateful for, get my mindset straight and get ready to tackle the day!
