This March ORLY is celebrating Women’s History Month by featuring twelve women who inspire us.

Each day we’ll be posting a Q&A and a New Woman’s History Month polish trio hand selected by each of our featured women.

The celebration doesn’t stop there - 10% of sales from all Women’s History Month trios will be donated to
Downtown Women's Center.

Act fast!
Trios will only be available through March 31, 2020.
Click here to shop.

JORDAN JONES

Founder & CEO, Packed Party

How did you know you had the right idea? How much did this idea change from initial concept to launching your brand?

 I had a dream about sending myself a physical "Packed Party" in the middle of the night, woke up and wrote my dream down so from there I didn't give much thought to making it the "right" idea, more just making it the idea I believed in and wanted to pursue. I really believe the right ideas aren't ever forced and what's meant for us sort of finds us so I find a lot of peace knowing Packed Party was my idea that found me. It of course has evolved over the last 6 years since launching, but the mission of making life a party with our product line has never wavered. 

How do you handle adversity and doubt? What about self-doubt? 

I have doubts all the time and will question myself around bigger decisions before I make them, but I think it makes me human. I really try and step back when I am feeling insecure about a "no" I get and think through the "yes's" I've received. Yeah, I'll let it get to me for a minute, but it doesn't ruin my day like it used to. It has taken some practice, but I really just try and close my eyes and shift my perspective. Sometimes this means me physically getting up from my desk and walking outside with my dog and other times it's as simple as taking a deep breath.

What has been your biggest set-back or road block and how did you handle that situation?

The landscape of retail is changing right now so we've had a few shake-ups when it comes to working with major retailers who have one moment been thriving and the next canceling an order right before it's supposed to ship. The gift and lifestyle product space is a popular one and the products aren't consumable meaning you buy one and need another one right away so after maybe the third cancelled order I saw I immediately made the decision we would expand our line into paper party plates, cups, and napkins and launched inside Whole Foods stores nationwide a year later. I could have sat around and been a victim of the retail world, but I believed in our brand that our customers would follow us into a new space and they did. Any setback is just a test, nothing is permanent.

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

Gosh, this changed weekly. A spice girl? A professional lemonade stand associate? A vet? I mixed it up and never really put myself in one box looking back. My parents were always supportive of me dreaming big and told me to "never settle" which I really absorbed as a little girl.

What advice would you give your teenage self? 

Your hardwork will pay off. I look back and remember how hard I worked just to get by in a few classes and how jealous I was of all the kids in my class it came so easily. I had a tutor a few days a week in math and would stay up all night agonizing over not being the last person to finish a test. I still have nightmares about timed tests even from elementary school. I credit a lot of the hard work and hours I have put into Packed Party to my time in school. It never came easy to me, but I was so determined to make it happen and I did.

What was your dream job before building your brand? 

I wanted to work for a brand doing experiential marketing and events.

What inspired you when you were younger? What inspires or motivates you now?

My mom inspired me growing up. She worked most of my childhood as did my dad and still found a way to make so many things incredibly special for my brother and I from birthdays to lunch at school. I'm inspired today to work hard for my future family and hopefully daughters too so they understand the value of hardwork and determination.

What piece of advice would you give to young women today? 

The strongest thing you can do for yourself is to simply DO. Have an idea? Put pen to paper and do it. Don't stop until it's what you want it to be. Since I had the dream about starting Packed Party in 2013 I have been relentless. A lot of people will say it just happened or these things start to run themselves, but they don't. If you work hard and show up everyday for an idea it will show up for you in return. Go for whatever you feel like is "just an idea", put love into it and watch it flourish. I think of ideas that pop up in our heads in the human form. Imagine someone coming to your door and greeting you, so excited, and you just staring at them blankly through the window and not opening the door. Give anything a shot and DO it.