Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey. How did you build the Janessa Leone brand to what it is today?

What inspires your designs?

What are some of the biggest challenges you face with owning a small biz and how do you overcome them?

Owning a small business is just one big challenge. It doesn’t end. I think what’s required to overcome the challenges is a shift of  perspective to one of acceptance that challenges are part of the gig; and with every challenge, there are several solutions. You have to make a decision, own it, and move onto the next without dwelling too long or get crushed by the pressure. I think you need to learn to let go of control, trust your team, and not expect to get every decision right.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own professional journey?

Just start! Anything worth doing takes a lot of time and discipline and everyone has to start laying that foundation somewhere.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, either professionally or personally?

I don’t have a tidy quote, but I would say the advice that has served me best has come from my boyfriend. He’s been on this journey with me since day one, and he has helped keep this very rocky journey steady by encouraging and motivating me to just put one foot in front of the other every day and not get caught up with comparison or everything that has to happen. He pushes me to just stay present and focused on making small progress everyday, because one day we will wake up and have years of small victories that make a substantial and strong foundation that will pay back in dividends.

What keeps your hustle going every day? What motivates you?

I love creating beauty. I believe that every person is so unique and individual and we are the only person on the planet with our specific perspectives. Therefore we are the only ones to be able to create something from our unique visions. I am constantly inspired by that and feel motivated to take part in our culture and participate in the progressing creative outputs in this time and moment that I’m alive.

What are your thoughts on work-life balance? Do you think it’s attainable?

YES not only is it attainable, it’s necessary. I’m a HUGE believer that we should not live to work. I think our life and work should be viewed holistically as influencing the other. If you are burnt out and not enjoying your life, your work is undoubtedly going to suffer.  If you are healthy and fulfilled in your life, you will be able to show up to your work in a much more effective meaningful way. As a leader of my team, my highest priority is to make sure that people are first and foremost enjoying their life. I set very defined boundaries to make sure that people are taking time to unwind and not working outside the office. The level of energy required to grow a business at the rate that we are growing is full on. It’s paramount that that level of pressure doesn’t start to encroach on people’s lives. We work on efficiencies to get people in the office for the minimum amount of time while still maintaining a high level of work and put a huge focus on enjoying life.

Do you have a daily ritual you can’t live without?

I’m a recent adopter of gratitude journaling. I  wake up in the morning and before I do anything, I write 5 things I’m grateful for. And at night, the last thing I do before I go to sleep is recount 5 beautiful things that happened that day. By focusing on these things morning and night, my brain is literally being trained to look for the small beauty in life and nothing has been more powerful if a ritual – I’m not letting that one go anytime soon.

What are five things you can’t live without?

God, my partner Kevin, my dog Wallace, my friends, tequila.

What’s next for Janessa Leone?

I have big goals, I want to continue to grow and produce beautiful products (hopefully across several categories) while bringing beauty into the lives of the people who are making it all possible.